The Life of an XCOM Rogue - Priya 'Innocence' Korpal
by Prisoner617
Summary: A compilation of the adventures and diary entries of Priya "Innocence" Korpal are contained within. Priya was the one and only rogue in ChristopherOdd's XCOM 2 Season 4 campaign. Be sure to check out Chris' series on YouTube and read about Priya's trials and tribulations as she grows from a rookie lacking confidence to an independent woman serving as the heart of the XCOM team.
1. Logs 01 - 10

**Priya Korpal's Diary Entry Compilation**

 _Christopher Odd's XCOM 2: Season FOUR_

 **A/N:** Hey everyone! BasikShaft (a.k.a. So Whack!) here. This is a collection of all the logs I wrote for Priya "Innocence" Korpal; the one and only Rogue in ChristopherOdd's XCOM 2, Season 4 campaign that he's just recently completed. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking him out on YouTube. He's got a couple of other seasons on his channel as well and he'll be beginning a new one shortly. People tend to role play certain soldiers on his campaign (please also see Jahana Locksley's sharpshooter diary which is posted on FF as well; it inspired me to do this in the first place!), so if that's your cup of tea, I definitely advise checking out his seasons.

Priya's logs below are just supplements to the videos, but I do hope you enjoy! They started off short, but as others got involved, they grew longer.

Along the way are also some 'intermissions' that aren't Priya's logs, but story sections and her reactions to the writings of the other writers whom I worked with this season. Unfortunately, since I didn't write their logs and story ideas, I have opted to not include their works in this collection as it doesn't belong to me. However, Priya's response to some of their writings will include a note on which video you can find their work!

* * *

Part 1 – Shen's Last Gift, Alien Hunters, SPARKS, Psi

 **"Rk. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 01"**

Every night, I still feel the pain. My wounds never fully healed, because there was no one qualified to tend to them. But it doesn't matter. It's nothing compared to the agony of losing my big brother. I've decided to embrace the pain. It will guide my every action. Every time it burns, I'll recall what those sons of bitches did to my only family. Still, I have a long way to go. Ali showed me basic combat skills, but in his words, I was still "as green as a cucumber". A mere rookie up against the might of ADVENT.

Perhaps that's why the Commander hasn't yet called for me. In any case, as soon as Shen completes construction on the Guerilla Tactics School, I hope to be spending most of my time in there. To enhance and improve my combat ability. Turns out there's another Indian aboard the Avenger, as well as other people as 'green' as me. I'm optimistic that I'll come to see them as my new family as we take this fight back to ADVENT. With Commander Odd back, I have no doubt we will overcome any challenge.

Out.

* * *

Part 2 – 5% Club

 **"Rk. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 02"**

The first squad came back without a hitch, but the man nicknamed the Professor seemed twitchier than usual. I heard someone mention that he was mind controlled, something my older brother told me about when he encountered the sectoids during the initial invasion. I can't imagine what it must be like to pull the trigger on your friends against your will.

It must have taken all the fight he had in him to miss a point blank shot on his comrade. I'll admit it has me nervous, especially now that I've been called up for the next mission. I'm glad I'm not the only rookie going along for the ride. Still, I know there's a chance that I may not make it back. But we've got Commander Odd watching over us. Short of anyone betraying the team and blowing us all up, I'm confident we'll succeed.

Out.

* * *

Part 3 – Fleche!

 **"Sq. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 03"**

It was a mixed bag today... Alright, so I was a bit nervous - really nervous? I think I went a bit overboard? I probably did, but what a rush! I've got my first confirmed kill! Watching that trooper blow to smithereens is easily one of the most satisfying things I've ever done. We all made it to extraction, and recruited a new scientist for the team.

But then it was time to head home. The ride in the Skyranger was super quiet. As I slapped my knee, beaming with pride, everyone else seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me. After we grounded, I got pulled aside by Commander Odd. His words were somewhere along the lines of "you're being a bitch" before he walked out and slammed the door. Doesn't mince words, but I like that, even if it felt a bit harsh. I'll try and tone it down I guess, but no promises. Maybe I'll just have to find a way to back it up. I feel like this personality is hard set in me. In either case, mission accomplished!

Out.

* * *

Part 4 – Retaliation!

 **"Sq. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 04"**

New guy on the team. Tobias 'Squadwipe' Batch. And, of course, I'm the one who has to bunk with him. Commander Odd had a rather unsettling grin on his face when he gave me the news, mentioning that it'd be a good chance to re-evaluate my behavior on the field by spending some time with this Tobias.

I already feel uncomfortable. Mr. Squadwipe keeps waking up in the middle of the night, screaming his head off as his hand grasps for his stash of grenades beneath the bed (did I mention he has a freakin' whole stash underneath where he sleeps!?). Every time I ask him about it, he just mutters something about "having that dream again" before going back to sleep. He's got some major PTSD issues. And I thought I was bad. I'm about ready to repent.

Out.

* * *

Part 5 – Batch's Close Call

 **"Sq. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 05"**

Mr. Squadwipe returned with the rest of the team after their latest adventure, though he did collapse a few times before the team's usual posing to await any promotions assigned by the Commander. So I figured Tobias would spending a bit of time in the infirmary as I reclaimed my peaceful nights alone. That is, if we actually had an infirmary...

Instead, he now wakes up groaning in the middle of the night before summoning his GREMLIN (gifted by the Commander after Batch's ascension to Specialist) and ordering a medical protocol on himself every hour or so. Commander Odd says I need to look after him while the rest of the uninjured squad heads out for a supply raid. In the meantime, I might look to help out with the AWC construction.

Out.

* * *

Part 6 – Supply Raid Beatdown

 **"Sq. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 06"**

The group came back from Operation Dark Doom (sounds like something 'Squadwipe' would prophesize) bearing gifts and were led of course by 'Magic Mike' (i.e. not Channing Tatum). I can't lie though; he seems like the kind of badass who doesn't look at explosions, and I'm glad he's on our side. Wish I could take Walker's place and bunk in with him, but beggars can't be choosers I guess.

In other news, no ADVENT burgers were found in the train wreck, so we're still stuck with the "100% nutrition your body needs" goop Central whips up down in the mess hall. They did find a nice scope modification though which the Commander promptly slapped on my SMG after he witnessed the abomination of my training session this morning. I told him that I always had a feeling my skills with computers had some untapped hidden potential but he warned that I 'was being like that again'.

He's rostered me for the next rescue mission, telling me to just stay out of sight and scout ahead. Getting the drop on the enemy may help with my aim too. But with my old scars still hampering my health, I think I'll settle for "try not to die".

Out.

* * *

Part 7 – Revenge Kills

 **"Cpl. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 07"**

I feel sick. I watched Protocall die right before my very eyes. And there was nothing I could do. Carmine gave me the aid protocol, and I could only wait and see what happened. We didn't even have time to carry his body back to the Skyranger.

The Commander told me it wasn't my fault. He twitched his jaw, followed by a low whisper of "that's XCOM baby!" before re-reading the note that came with Protocall when he first boarded the Avenger. Even he seemed shaken up by it, which is comforting to know. I know he looks out for us and tries to keep us alive out there. Still, it'll be tough for me to overcome my survivor's guilt.

I'm going to take the Commander's advice and go in using stealth next time. It's what Jasmine currently does. In fact, I might go see her now the AWC is up and get some tips on staying out of sight. Otherwise, I'll hang around the bar for a while and drink in Protocall's honour.

Out.

* * *

Part 8 – Long War Alien Pack

 **"Cpl. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 08"**

Another mission, another soldier in the AWC. Magic Mike ended up getting the life squeezed out of him for a second. Kerrigan got a chance to show the Viper her boomstick in the end. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to staff the AWC, so we're left with a lone scientist for now, checking if Mike received any brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. Somehow, I doubt his method of showing him a bunch of binary code and asking Mason what the numbers mean will be of any help. Hopefully we get someone on board who can actually operate the equipment sometime soon.

ADVENT have now hit another resistance base and I'm heading out. Last time, Jasmine took a shot in the back out there. I definitely won't be going as nuts as her. She must have hidden my shiny scoped SMG somewhere though, probably her warped perception of a dare. It's just something she'd do, I've learned from our conversations. I hope I find it before we take to the skies.

Out.

* * *

Part 9 – Terror Time

 **"Cpl. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 09"**

I saved as many as I could. It was all I cared about after what ADVENT did to my home... what they did to my brother. I didn't do much else, but every time I glanced over my shoulder, Walker was taking some insane shots that were out of this world and making 'em look easy. I'd call him our guardian angel, but he was actually more like some kind of archangel with those critical shots that got us out of trouble. The goo that flew off the faceless I stood toe to toe with seemed to have concealed my position for a moment while other ADVENT troopers rushed by, so that was something.

Being near the Sectoid and all his psi energy must have had an effect on me. I had a minor freakout on the way back to base, imagining the Skyranger ending up in a crash, but it was just some horrible nightmare. Jasmine probably won't be impressed that I behaved like a turtle the entire mission, but she was the one who ended up in medbay, not me. I'd better go see if she's checked out of the AWC.

Out.

* * *

Part 10 - #$%

 **"Cpl. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal - Diary Entry 10"**

It was Jasmine's first mission since she came out of the AWC. I don't know what the hell that scientist might have done in there to augment her strength, but according to Walker, she single-handedly almost leveled the entire building with one swing of her axe toward a Sectoid a few feet away. The force of it was so great, it obliterated the access point just before Carmine could steal the Weapon Systems Data. I almost didn't believe him, but the rest of the squad corroborated the story and gave Jasmine a look of disgust, shaking their heads. When I asked her about it, she was adamant that something else destroyed it, like some kind of bug. Sure.

None of them are particularly happy with her, especially Carmine. I can see Jasmine's putting on a brave face and pretending to not give a damn, and she seems more confident than she was before the mission (almost demolishing an entire building probably helped, even if she failed the mission for everyone). Still, I have a feeling that she's disappointed in herself, especially on her first outing after her injury. I feel bad for her, and I figure she probably could use my company until people start talking to her again. I'd better go and give her some comfort for a change.

Out.


	2. Logs 11 - 20

Part 11 – Much Needed Supply Raid Opportunity

 **Cpl. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 11**

After what happened back in Guadalajara, Jasmine's hand shot up right away to redeem herself for her excessive use of force, much to the chagrin of Carmine who had already volunteered for the supply raid to "make sure it's done right." I tagged along, hoping that my scouting abilities could keep everybody out of trouble. Kind of glad I went. Jasmine was keen to show off her biceps after the last mission by taking on a Muton, but we managed to convince her that there was a real chance she wouldn't survive any counter attack he'd make. Bloody adrenaline junkie.

We got back home with some decent supplies. The Commander had just got off the sat uplink with some guy named Jake Solomon thanking him for the supply raid mission. Not sure if that's the bald guy on the screen that has the gruff voice or someone else entirely, but he seems alright, despite what I've heard about him in the past in terms of making things difficult for the resistance. Then the Commander gave me some more grief about my attitude and how it affects my aim in the field. I'm working on it, promise! In the meantime, Jasmine's heading out again (she's been super keen since being stuffed in the AWC), and I'm worried because Squadwipe's with her, but the Commander's right. We all need to contribute if we're gonna survive this war.

Out.

* * *

Part 12 – Subtle VIP

 **Cpl. Priya 'Innocence' Korpal – Diary Entry 12**

A bit of a hollow victory today from what Jasmine told me. The Commander sent a team in to try and extract an HVT that may know the whereabouts of another alien facility. Unfortunately, he found himself trapped behind his suicide door, and we found out where they got their name from as the guy didn't even attempt to run when his car exploded. I immediately assumed it was Squadwipe's fault, but Jasmine assured me that he didn't do half bad. Still, I'm not sure if it's a coincidence that they failed when he was on the mission. Carmine's starting to get real pissed off about failing these missions through no fault of her own, but I don't blame her. If I had her skills, I'd be a bit miffed too if I wasn't the one letting the team down.

Councilman Bald got on the phone with us straight after, saying that while we accomplished the mission, it would've been better to interrogate the guy before reducing him to ash. I could see the Commander pulling his hair out, but he shouldn't be too hard on himself. Thankfully, the very next communication call was from Mr. Solomon. He gave a tip on where we could find some intel on the alien facility. Talk about good timing. Jasmine and I also paid a visit to Walker down in the AWC. Now that someone qualified is working in there, he's seen some significant improvement to his aim. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be as good as Carmine, Walker and Jasmine. Hell, Jasmine can do everything I can do, but with an axe! (we've seen what she can do with that thing...) Maybe someday...

Out.

* * *

Part 13 – The Commander's iPad

 **Cpl. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 13**

I guess the Commander is one of us after all... As is usual when Jasmine's on the mission, I watched the live feed of the squad on the ground to make sure she didn't do anything crazy. At least, I tried to at the beginning, only for our footage to go on the fritz. Everyone thought it was that encrypted signal that Shen claimed belonged to her father, but I guess I was the only one who noticed the Commander's sheepish grin of guilt. He'd connected his 2015 iPad tablet (pre-ADVENT tech so they can't monitor it) to our geoscape and sat uplink and the incompatibility messed with our systems, potentially putting Jasmine and the others' lives at risk. Thankfully, the mission went flawlessly in spite of the technical hiccups. I pretended not to see anything and let him get away with it, opting to give everyone a hug the moment the Skyranger returned instead.

Unfortunately, the lie about the technical downtime caught the Commander in a sticky situation and to fully follow it through, we're now flying towards the old communications tower where the actual DDoS attack a few weeks ago originated from. Shen's opted to join the team for this one, and I'm relegated to the bench once more. I know Jasmine gave me the whole speech on how we're all giants and everything, but it's tough watching the others go out there, knowing that it's a real possibility they won't come back while I sit safely on the Avenger twiddling my thumbs. They're my family now, and I don't want to lose anyone else. Still, the Commander's put our best team out there to protect Shen (Walker, Carmine, and of course, Jasmine). Once again, I'll be watching from the bridge, and maybe supervise the Commander to make sure he doesn't go all 'loosey goosey' with our team again. (Commander's words, not mine.) I just hope everyone comes back alive. Please...

Out.

* * *

Part 14 – Shen's Last Gift!

 **Cpl. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 14**

Jasmine! Don't play with my heart like that! I can't believe we almost lost you! I swear to God if you ever walk out of that AWC, I'm gonna send you right back there! You are absolutely, utterly, unforgivably insane! You come back by the skin of your teeth, and all you have to say to me is "how'd you like my Queen sacrifice?" It's gonna take a loooooong time for me to forgive you for this!

But seriously, I've never seen the Commander work so hard to keep our troops alive, and for that I'm so grateful to have him. Every move, every strike looked so calculated on his part, it's no wonder the aliens tried to keep him on their side. Carmine, Walker, and Mason of course made it look easy down there as per usual. Still, looks like it's all moot now though. It's the end of the world as we know it, and now they're attacking another settlement to keep us occupied. This is going to be a long month...

Out.

* * *

Part 15- Spark in Action

 **Cpl. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 15**

I sat nervously in engineering this morning with Shen, Carmine and Fields as we popped open the SPARK unit Jasmine and the others brought back from those communications towers. Fields passed over Protocall's AI memory core that I'd recovered from his … 'remains' a few months ago when he was knocked offline for good. Shen and Carmine worked together to recover the data and managed to download whatever was left into the mech! After making a few more repairs, Shen walked to her console.

"Let there be life," she announced before booting him up. It took a few minutes for the gears to start whirring, but the unit eventually awoke from its slumber and turned towards us. I admit, I was scared. I wasn't sure if it would remember what happened or who we were, but Fields just about hugged the damn thing back to death. While Protocall's facial recognition software is still a bit off (it thought I was Fields and that Fields was Squadwipe), it's definitely still on our side. The voice module encountered a bit of corruption, and its aim still needs calibrations (Walker could probably help out here, he has a thing for calibrations for some reason), but Protocall is otherwise officially back with the team! Technology, huh?

Unfortunately, XCOM's human division is seeing its fair share of injuries of late, and I've been called up to the roster out of necessity. I paid a visit to Jasmine (still fuming at her ridiculous stunt by the way) and the others in the AWC and wished them well. Walker seemed a bit shaken up by the Faceless that had scratched him and is convinced he might turn into what Carmine would call a 'blobface', otherwise they were all on track for a speedy recovery thanks to the engineer assigned.

For the next mission, the Commander handed me a magnetic rifle, which is heavier than my usual SMG loadout. I hope the recoil doesn't affect my aim too bad. I'm more comfortable getting flanking shots with the SMG than I am wielding this futuristic looking thing. I suppose I don't have much of a choice. The clock keeps ticking, and if Walker, Jasmine and the others can't get back on their feet in time to delay the Avatar project, then I need to be able to step up to the plate.

Out.

* * *

Part 16 – Carmine the Beast

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 16**

... cough ... Well, things could've been a lot worse I guess? Maybe? As a rogue, I knew an SMG would be much easier to handle than this 'magnetic rifle' and now it shows. One pull of the trigger and I ended up drawing a nice outline around the sentry right beside me. We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. I like to think the sheer absurdity of it allowed Aerantheus to utterly pulverize him with a sniper shot to the back of the head. On the bright side, we hacked the terminal just in time. The conspicuous absence of Jasmine and her axe may have had something to do with that.

After we got back to base, the Commander could see how disappointed I was. Guess it's a pity party all around since Protocall's "analysis" of my current mental state. Probably how I got the promotion. Commander said my recon skills were invaluable, especially since ADVENT have been on high alert following their final developments on the Avatar project. If I can just mark targets for the rest of the squad to take out, that should be enough. I can handle being a role player, especially since my aim is still off. Least I got to see Carmine in action with my own eyes for once. Let's just say the stories weren't exaggerated. That chick never misses. Can definitely see posters of her flooding every little girl's (and probably boy's) wall after this is over. I know I had one of this woman with dreadlocks and a sniper rifle with "Critical" carved on the scope.

Some of our top dogs are still in medbay (it's still a drama circus in there for sure), allowing for the rest of us underlings a chance to prove our worth. Poor Prismacube was beginning to lose hope of seeing action after finally joining the XCOM team when the Commander called him for the next mission. Beneath that helmet of his, I know he's smiling. In any case, I'm curious as to what shenanigans our lieutenants are up to at the AWC. Time to pay a visit.

Out.

* * *

Part 17 – VIP Hong

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 17**

Prismacube is a real joker. Just as we prepared to ship off to shut down another alien relay, the clown walks in with his arms tucked beneath his armor and screams with his thick German accent that he's lost his arms. I hadn't laughed like that in a while, just because he looked so ridiculous. Even Walker cracked a smile. It's good to know that we can find ways of humoring ourselves as ADVENT draws ever closer to completing their Avatar project. The Commander is also starting to groom him as a substitute to Carmine so the fate of humanity doesn't just fall squarely on her shoulders. I can tell she's found some relief in that. He's certainly shown his bravery, opting to aid protocol Carmine as he stood defiantly in the sights of a Naja Viper.

In other news, Tygan and Shen managed to shift their differences aside long enough to come up with a new set of armor that will quote "take some of the squish off". I've got no idea what that means, but Walker was mortified at the thought of becoming a squishy blobface, much to Carmine's amusement. Apparently, it's just a PTSD thing, and if Walker can prove to himself that he's still rocking his superior aim, he should feel better soon enough. Jasmine's probably feeling lonely now that Walker and Mason were finally cleared for duty, but just a couple more days and she'll be on her feet as well. I just hope she spent her time in there thinking about how she ended up in there for so long, and learned her lesson! I'll catch up with her when I get back, but right now, I'm feeling good and ready to kick some alien ass.

Out.

* * *

Part 18 – The Trench

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 18**

Just over 48 hours left 'til we're done for. We're all starting to get nervous, but I guess we're just playing checkers while the Commander is playing chess. But daaaamn, we annihilated that relay and the freaks guarding it. I don't think they knew I was even there. Hell, a dropship basically rained ADVENT down on me, but I guess this predator armor turned me invisible like that alien from the movie with the same name. So much for them and their vigilance. Walker nailed a couple shots early on and he was right back to bantering with Carmine again, having restored faith in himself. Nice to have our cocky sniper back again. And to top it all off, Mason goes in and completely vaporizes the last two enemies with one shotgun blast. Something for his resume if we ever win this war.

Seems like the whole hiding your arms shtick is a German thing because Haussman pulled off the exact same prank as Weger. He must have put her up to it. I have to say it was funny seeing Jasmine struggle to slip on the predator armor and a nanoscale vest underneath. She pulled a face at me when I giggled at the sight. I know she's only wearing them for me, not because she barely survived Operation Last Gift. Shame we won't be able to see those biceps in action out in the field though. In any case, she's heading out with the others to 'procure' some supplies before we take on the black site. I did see Carmine roll her eyes when the Commander mentioned to her to be careful and not get injured. We only have two days left to put the brakes on the Avatar project, and we can't afford to have our high ranking soldiers sitting in the AWC when that happens...

Out.

* * *

Part 19 – Hit Something!

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 19**

Aaaaaand the AWC is full again. Walker had been re-calibrating his 'talents' so to speak when our injured troops filed through the door and walked in on him doing yoga half-naked. At least they'll have stuff to talk about in there (there's no way Carmine will ever let him live that down). Jasmine of course wandered over to her usual bed and plonked down on it, kicking her feet up like she was back at home. Getting mad at her clearly doesn't do anything for that thick-headed woman, so I took the liberty of shifting all of her things beside her bed seeing as she pretty much bunks in there now. At least I can claim that the armor most likely saved her life out there, so I'm grateful she listened to at least one thing I said. The new girl, Viviana stopped by to visit Jasmine as well and they had their own sort of thing going on. Figured I'd leave 'em to it.

My suspicions surrounding Squadwipe and his presence on missions leading to disaster are starting to become more and more validated, but I'll keep those to myself for now. With the explosives he'd been carrying, I can tell everyone's hearts stop the moment he starts panicking. Maybe that's why everyone was on edge and couldn't land shots today, or maybe it's the fact that we only had a couple of days before doomsday.

Either way, it's do or die time. Our top soldiers are out of commission, and we've got one chance at infiltrating the black site or it's game over for us. The last time I entered one of these so-called black sites... I found my brother... Maybe it's best I don't come on this mission. My aim would be too shaky. Thankfully, Fields and Carter are packing enough heat to possibly re-create the big bang. I hope they blow that fucking place to kingdom come.

Out.

* * *

Part 20 – Blacksite B Squad

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 20**

Today, we pissed all over the aliens' parade. The Speaker must have shat himself upon hearing the news that the Avatar project had been delayed by a good few weeks thanks to his old friends at XCOM. "Only together can we build a better tomorrow." Asshole.

Central routed the live feed from the black site into the AWC for us so we could all watch as the team moved in with six hours to go. Mason, the ranking officer assigned to escort the B team took a couple of shots midway through. We were on edge at that point 'til he screamed over comms that he was "too old for this shit." It got a laugh out of the Commander, who promoted him to Captain for his troubles upon their return. The other patients in the AWC and I held a celebratory party for the squad as Mason hobbled in to reserve his own recovery bed. It was hangovers galore all around. Weger cracked some more jokes and Carmine sang a nice tune for us.

The sight of all those people being processed into green alien goop was hard to swallow. Jasmine shielded my eyes as it happened but I could see through the cracks in her fingers, and it all came back to me. I felt sick to my stomach. Thankfully, Fields and Carter delivered on their promise and basically nuked the place. The fact that our squad left no one alive only made me happier in a sadistic sort of way. Damn, times have changed... I've changed...

We've expanded operations now across the Atlantic and the resistance movement is growing. We've bought some time with regards to the Avatar project, but we're still cutting it super close. ADVENT's gonna make things very difficult going forward after what we just pulled off. One thing's for sure though: we're still in the game.

Out.


	3. Logs 21 - 28

Part 21 – Walker's Back

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 21**

Turns out the Commander 'knows a guy who knows a guy' where we could 'procure' some supplies in order to build some sort of experimental lab in the depths of the Avenger (so sketchy). Dr. Tygan popped open the cooler in the research lab, and over sixty corpses tumbled out on top of each other. At least our trophy room count seems right. It took all of us aboard to haul half of these things over to the guys at this so called black market for their appraisal. Jasmine had to help me out with the Vipers as they kept slipping out of my hands. The broker, known only by his alias Big Hoss, gaped at the amount of corpses we delivered. "Man, after twenty years of ADVENT control, you still never know what's gonna come through that door," he'd told us. Offloading our cargo, we took off out of there and commenced construction on this facility immediately. I don't know what's being built, but sounds like something dangerous - for the aliens, not for us.

In other developments, Walker's rehabilitative yoga worked out just fine. Now if he so much as gets a whiff of any ADVENT activity, he can nail a shot from half a town away. Carmine also found a way to improve Avenger scanning times after breaching the ADVENT network in her latest hack down in Butchers Station. Central capitalized on that to focus our efforts on finding the location of one Dr. Vahlen. I remember my brother mentioning her and something about a faux German accent back when he was part of XCOM. If it's anything like our rescue of the Commander, we're going to need the best of the best down there. Still, I've got a bad feeling swirling in my tummy regarding this operation. I hope they take extra care in that cave. Something tells me we're about to open Pandora's Box...

Out.

* * *

Part 22 – Alien Hunters!

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 22**

Wow, we really stirred up the hive today. Just when we thought things were dire enough with the Avatar project coming close to completion, we now have a Viper King slithering around out there since we couldn't kill it. Eugh * shiver *. I'd never seen so many Viper creatures at once, I'm amazed our squad all got out of there in one piece. I think Mason's still in the AWC getting bolts plucked out of him after becoming their personal pin cushion. He did laugh in defiance though and said it tickled once or twice. Central definitely gave Jasmine a run for her money in terms of sword ability, hacking away at them as though he were the Grim Reaper. Of course, Jasmine had to have the last word and ran head first into the bloody Viper King himself to take a slash at it.

Somehow, for once, she got out unscathed while the rest of the team took some heat. But like I said, they all came back alive, and that's all that matters... It's just scary that this could happen to our best team. What if they aren't always around, and we're stuck with me and the others from B-Team? My recon skills would only do so much. Not all of us are close combat specialists, or have Walker's aimbot PCS chip implanted. But now that they're in the AWC, the rest of us can start getting much needed experience to be on par with those guys.

The Viper King must have found its way into the clutches of ADVENT, seeing as a retaliation strike rained down on a resistance camp a few days after our investigation at that mad woman's lab. "Magic Mike" Mason told us that we were in fact building a Psi Lab with our acquired supplies, so thank goodness we're not re-creating Vahlen's experiments here aboard the Avenger. Turns out that he got the name because he used to have psi powers (!) before losing his 'magic', not because of some male stripper movie (glad I never confirmed with him). Anyway, Jasmine's the ranking soldier down there. She wanted to take me out for some more combat experience, but the Commander made the right call and assigned Weger on field medic duty just in case. We've survived this far, but now our campaign to free Earth is about to get real bumpy...

Out.

* * *

Part 23 – The Bigger They Are…

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 23**

Hell. We're in hell, can't you tell? At least, that's what Central's thinking because he keeps slapping the damn word in every operation mission we've been having lately. Still, it's not a bad choice of words considering the state of the world right now. ADVENT have resumed their research and have basically recovered any progress lost after our blacksite attack. We're in such a rush and state of panic, a few of our personnel forgot to stock up properly before dashing out to counter the retaliation. Carmine was about to limp out of the AWC to remind them about 'Song & Dance', but Firebrand was already soaring in the air by the time she'd realized it was still here. Thankfully, they adjusted to their loadouts midway through the mission, with our ranger Jillian firing off some hard hitting shots. That girl knows where it hurts for those alien scum.

Mike explained some more about his psi powers to me yesterday and the effect it had on him back in the original XCOM days. From what I heard from Central and somebody else though, was that it was more of a gene mod than actual mind powers instilled within him. Either Magic Mike's been exaggerating what he was like before losing his 'magic', or all those years in ADVENT prison have taken a toll on him and affected his recollection. Honestly, it's probably the latter (the original XCOM team existed twenty years ago after all). He's been through a lot, we all have. Hearing Viviana's and Jasmine's stories - I'm just glad I had my brother who took care of me. Now Viviana and Jasmine have each other, and they've got me too if that counts!

Tobias is heading out on another mission. If it goes south, I'll be able to confirm my suspicions, but Jasmine's told me to lay off him and give him the benefit of the doubt. Alright, but I'll be the first to say 'I told you so' if things do crumble in 'Operation Hell Slap'. We'll just have to wait and see...

Out.

* * *

Part 24 – Hell Slap

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 24**

Okay, so maybe Squa - sorry - maybe Batch isn't the cause of all our misfortunes on these guerilla operations after all ... Things went surprisingly smooth despite another rocky deployment at the start. All those training sessions with Jasmine in the GTS definitely enhanced Viviana's skills out there. She'd handled the axe just fine, and introduced some nice buckshot shards to a couple of ADVENT faces. Poor Batch seemed a bit nervous, and the Commander reaming him probably didn't help matters. I actually felt bad for him. He seems to be carrying some heavy baggage and is trying to atone for it, but he keeps getting frustrated that he can't prove himself. Jasmine was right (sigh), I should go a bit easy on him. It's not like I'm an amazing shot either. Speaking of amazing shots though, that Russian woman with no name managed to land a 'clutch shot' (the Commander's words) while on fire! Not sure how she attained marksmanship skills like that (seems kind of niche), but if that's what it'll take for me to land some nasty shots, I'll probably stick to recon duty.

I'm going on the next mission after a bit of bench warming - an alien facility dedicated to the Avatar project. If there was ever a time to pull my weight, it's now. Heavy comm traffic on the ADVENT network indicates we've got less than 24 hours to sabotage the Avatar project again. It gives me the shivers imagining that the Commander has a bit of Jasmine in him seeing as we're taking huge risks leaving it this close again. Jasmine insisted that Batch come also so that I could clear my misconceptions about the guy., and as a favor to him seeing as he's on some kind of penance buzz. Luckily, I'm with our best soldiers right now, so I'm not too concerned about our chances for success. Down there, I'm just gonna tag 'em, and everyone else can bag 'em.

Out.

* * *

Part 25 – Alien Facility

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 25**

So we found out where that Viper King scampered off to - and we found its self-appointed regal partner (can they even - eugh never mind), what appeared to be a 'Chryssalid Queen'. Things looked pretty scary for me (and probably Batch too), but for our top guys, it was 'same shit, different day'. Poor Batch got snatched by the Viper King and almost crushed to death when Walker nailed a tough looking shot to claim the King's head. Before that, Jasmine obliterated the Queen with a shard blast. Wham and bam! Of course, turns out it wasn't a Chryssalid Queen at all, but a mere soldier according to Carmine (her knowledge of these 'blobfaces' is real disconcerting). At least it solved my initial query regarding - yeah, still never mind.

Jasmine was on such a high, she took down a couple more ADVENT units, including one I had flanked for an easy kill. She gave me an apologetic grin, and I only smiled back as I shot past her shoulder towards a lancer tucked on the upper catwalk. We had a brief moment of laughter before Mason gave a yell that I'd almost given him a haircut with my magnetic bullets. Oops! Thinking back to it, it was kinda bad since Batch had panicked again and here we were, having a bit of fun. Still, it's taken me a while to move past my previous personality. Commander seems happier that I've worked on that aspect. So long as I stay in stealth, I'm positive I can keep my cool.

I guess as a reward, the Commander gave me the honor of planting the X4 charges. Unfortunately, the remnants of Batch's acid grenade simmered by the pillar. Jasmine nudged me to go for it anyway, telling me to try and take some kind of risk for once in my life. Pretty sure coming out here and facing two aliens that were basically considered royalty was risky enough, but I indulged her since everything seemed okay. My God, it reeked of death. Carmine showered me with her medical protocol before it ate through my armor, so I didn't suffer too badly... In fact, it was totally worth it seeing that place blown to smithereens as we evac'd just as the remaining alien forces came upon us.

To celebrate our second delay of the Avatar project, we hit up the bar for more of Jasmine's storytelling. Mason asked me where we got all our liquor from. I told him probably the Black Market since the Commander has his connections there. Why else are we selling so many alien corpses? Who knows... but we've still got a lot of work to do to put an end to this ADVENT tyranny, and not a lot of time to do it.

Out.

* * *

Part 26 – Damage Over Time

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 26**

Oh my… Talk about some soldiers from B squad out there kicking some serious ass! Looks like they want a piece of the active roster too. Turns out Vahlen made ANOTHER monstrosity, and of course it had to be a freakin' berserker! Like, why? Why would you do that? Did she make those chryssalid soldiers too? And to think these - things were just wandering around the city streets... Thankfully, Dr. Frankenstein focused more on the brawn than actual brains for this berserker queen. Watching the feed with Jasmine, Mason and the others, it was like witnessing an orchestra as our squad landed shots left, right and centre. The thing basically melted from all the acid, fire and poison they hurled at it and it disappeared within the poison gas cloud after only a few minutes (if I was down on the ground, I bet I would've been chosen to wade through that mist to confirm the kill).

I'm so proud of our team right now though, any fears about the Avatar project restarting and completing any time soon disappeared, if only for a night or two. That's when I realised that there were three shattered containment units in that underground lab Central and the others had infiltrated. Is there another one out there somewhere? Now that I think about it, I should re-watch our footage from that operation to confirm. That's got me worried now…

As for our actual operation in the city, our team got in and out with the ADVENT benefactor without a scratch (busted nose for the VIP does not count). Mason had the honors of 'questioning' the high-value target, finally dishing out some of the medicine they force fed him back when he was imprisoned by ADVENT and had his 'magic' removed. We've got some valuable intel out of it which may lead us to another facility. In the meantime, we've got word that the resistance have halted an ADVENT supply train. Nice to see it's karma all around after all the rural checkpoints they've been setting up to stifle our own supply runs.

Jasmine and Mason are the ranking officers this time with Walker and Carmine taking some R&R (if one can have any on board this ship, and with the world in this state). Some of the others who haven't seen much action are going to be building up valuable experience now that ADVENT's throwing more advanced forces our way to eradicate our resistance effort. But as we've just learned, they can throw their biggest and baddest at us and we'll always find a way to survive.

Out.

* * *

Part 27 – Sooner Rather Than Later

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 27**

I was right. The Commander is playing chess while we're playing checkers. At least, that's how it looks when we've become expendable like pieces on a board. We all did a double take when he passed down the orders to Jillian to toss the gas grenade danger close while Weger stood within the blast radius. Reminded me of when I had to step in that acid to blow up that alien facility. From the Commander's perspective, I could see it looking like a tough call.

As suspected, Vahlen had created a third alien 'ruler' and that freakin' thing devastated our team on the ground. Definitely wasn't as smooth as the last two. Things were looking pretty grim, but if we have to start sacrificing each other in order to pump out some more 'damage over time' like our experiment with that Berserker thing? I don't know... I don't know if I could live with myself if my direct actions got a team member killed. Protocall's first destruction was hard enough. Poor Jillian looked so apologetic. Not too sure if Weger's okay, but he hasn't been cracking any jokes as of late. Thankfully, he still has both his arms.

Even Mike looked shaken, though it may be more because he took the full brunt of a plasma beam and two archon rockets than the friendly fire. He's a veteran, he probably knows all about sacrifices in war. I don't know what Jasmine's opinion is. I'll ask when she's out from the AWC since Viviana's tending to her right now. Jasmine's been pulling out some wicked moves as of late, I can just imagine the conversation they're having as her arms wave about. *mimicking Jasmine's voice* "I mean, **pow** I thrust that skulljack right through that officer's jaw, then **fwwwsh** , this golden cyborg, glowy thing appears out of nowhere, along with more Viper buddies and an Archon pinning us down! Lucky I always pack two of these axes, huh Viv!? I hurled that thing so hard, that Viper probably thought it'd got run over by a tank. Now, come here for a smooch!"

*smile* Ahem. In the meantime, construction on this 'psi lab' finished down below. A new recruit boarded as a volunteer to be our first psi operative. Said her name was Dr. Moreau. First thing she mentioned was how happy she was to be a part of this experiment and that it brought her one step closer to her goal of "achieving Vahlen status" (her words, not mine). It didn't sit well with me after all those .. hmph .. 'test subjects' our team's encountered out there. I might just steer clear. Let's just hope these psionic experiments go well and she doesn't become another sacrifice...

Out.

* * *

Part 28 – Chemicals

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 28**

Not that I want to jinx it, but we are steamrolling over ADVENT forces right now. 'Course, we aren't exactly playing fair with our whole guerilla warfare style. Even that Archon abomination (or scientific marvel if you ask Dr. Moreau, our psi operative) didn't dare show as our team blitzed towards an ADVENT delivery truck to acquire some chemical composition report. Supposedly, it would've boosted the effectiveness of their Kevlar design to further their longevity out in the field (after the momentum we've been gathering, they were definitely going to need it). Carmine even told us that she left a backdoor into the ADVENT network via an exploit in the GPS failsafe and - well, that's all I could comprehend. I haven't hacked in a while, so I'm a bit rusty on it all, but it seemed to check out. We held another celebration to acknowledge her colonel status, though we moved it to the AWC so Mason and Weger could get in on the fun too. It's always a good time when those boys get drunk.

Things seem okay with Moreau and the new psi lab we have going on. Tensions are still a bit high after our recent meeting. She messed with Jasmine (though Jaz can definitely handle herself) and seems borderline insane, and that was before any psionic experiments were conducted on her. Soooooo I can't say she's topping my list of friends and family aboard the Avenger right now, but we'll wait and see how it goes. Luckily, she's trapped in her psi lab cell most of the time so we don't get to see her a lot. Last I heard, much to Mason's protest regarding this whole psionic program, they were testing out mind melding, or 'domination' as Mason put it, with organic units. I can only imagine what Moreau would get up to with the power to enter an alien's mind. She might keep the link active permanently!

I'm being deployed for another mission, which is great because I've been getting a lot of headaches lately. Not sure if it's related to the new psi lab expansion, but some fresh air never hurt. Commander was kind enough to lend me tracer rounds so I can at least follow where my bullets go, and my rifle has a stock so I can overcome its bulkiness. A temporary solution I'm assured until we find the time to improve our mobile SMG weapons. Mason looked exceptionally terrifying in that new RAGE suit of armor (fitting) spat out by our proving ground, but he gave the most sadistic grin when he showed up. I bet that man's about to recover his will to fight pretty soon...

Out.


	4. Logs 29 - 35

Part 29 – Viper Supply

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 29**

For better or for worse, I didn't have to do any shooting once again. Don't get me wrong, I know my role as a scout has its uses, but after some of the injuries suffered by the others and the dramas aboard the Avenger, sometimes I just wanna take some shots on Vipers and watch their slimy heads pop off. Even the Commander's motivational speech before deployment had him just … acknowledging me. I wish I had some kind of hidden potential so I could be as cool as the others, but I suppose I've got to accept that we're not all created equally. I've been trying hard to keep on my best behaviour though, but maybe I shouldn't be bottling it up so much. One day, I'm just going to let loose and get back to my older ways. God help any alien that gets in my way when that happens, mark my words! I think I'll take up Mason's offer down in the shooting range to get ready.

Down on the ground, we all got nervous that Dr. Vahlenstein had made some kind of clone of the Viper King due to the sheer number of snakes slithering about the supply convoy. Fortunately, there was nothing of the sort. Just a couple of us ladies (plus Magic Mike of course with his nude suit, how fitting) putting in some work. I did a lot of pointing, and the others dished out some serious damage. I mean, these aliens got completely obliterated by all the headshots our team was landing. It was beautiful, especially since I had a front row seat to all this carnage as I snuck around the front lines.

As suspected, the aliens have picked up the pace on their Avatar project once more. Destroy one facility, and another pops up somewhere else. We received word that the aliens are on the brink of a minor breakthrough on their little secret project, which means we have to crash their little party. The Commander's feeling confident in our abilities and is starting to send some of our up and comers out to get some combat experience. After our sluggish grind to get XCOM in the stable position we're in now, I think it's safe to say that we're currently in the eye of the storm. It's been a tough climb, I just hope it's not downhill from here…

Out.

* * *

Part 30 – Ferrari's Boys

 **Sgt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 30**

I knew it. I **freaking** knew that things were going to turn to crap sooner or later. Thankfully, Viviana put down that other piece of shit before it could take out Batch as well (he's not Squadwipe to me anymore). I swear, these scientists have no idea what the hell they're doing. It's all a huge ego trip for them. But noooo, the ends justify the means and all that stupid bullshit. Now Vhe'Troh's dead. Not in a blaze of glory, or a self-sacrifice to save everyone else. No, it was an unceremonious, cowardly ambush that none of them ever saw coming. It could've literally happened to anyone. Walker? Weger? All because these eggheads wanted to see how far we could push the limits of alien biology, I mean seriously what the actual f—

Wait, has someone been through my logs? Hmm? The Commander perhaps? He did mention he may let me have a few shots on this next mission after my vent last entry. Or someone else...? If it's that psi op Moreau - that witch... That run-in we had yesterday... I am going to murder her. It's not a threat, it's a fact. She's right. They're not gonna kick her off the Avenger just because she ran a few vile experiments on my dead brother's body, no. All this science stuff is valued and respected 'round here. I know Jasmine said she'd take care of that daayan (witch) if she ever tried anything, but I'll be the one to handle things. Besides, Viv needs her in the AWC after the carnage of the previous mission. No, this task is mine alone to bear. I don't need anyone else. Definitely not that other psi op, she'd only stop me from finishing the job like she did yesterday.

We're about to deploy to capture an ADVENT VIP. Good, because in case you (whoever's been snooping on these entries) didn't notice, I'm livid. We're under strict orders not to blow this VIP up (Jasmine got a bit of a stink eye due to her destruction of that ADVENT network terminal all those moons ago), but I can't promise that. I'm going to kill every last alien and anyone else on their side. For Rai. For my brother. I'm done playing games, done being the mediocre one. Done being "innocent". Commander, **let me at 'em!**

Out.

* * *

Part 31 – The Big Boys

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 31**

Hmph. I don't like to break promises, so when I said I was going to avenge Rai, Ali, and all the countless civilians we've lost on retaliation missions, I intended on following through. I'll gladly take the title of 'Solo Slayer' thank you very much. Commander said he was kinda glad to see me 'back to my roots' today. Well, when I'm on the front lines and a literal 'blobface' bounds itself towards me and breaks my concealment, you bet your ass I'm gonna freak out. 'Course, nobody expected me to execute that slimy piece of crap the moment it turned the corner to take a swipe. Even Jasmine stared at me with her brows raised and jaw dropped. I suppose even that giant refrigerator couldn't evade my wild aim. I just shrugged to show her that yes, this time I mean business.

Not sure what came over me that day, but I like to think my big brother's still watching over me, still taking care of me even though he's not here anymore. All I have left of him are his dogtags that I snatched off Moreau during our little scuffle. I'm never taking them off. I felt – calm having the cold metal around my neck as I landed my shots and dodged blows from walking environment suits. Wasn't all me though. Carmine's back door into the ADVENT network came into play, helping with our engagements with the enemy squads and improving our resistance network scans (just in time because that Avatar project is ramping up again). The others cleaned up whatever I couldn't get my hands on. That includes that bloody mech I missed just before extraction. I guess the adrenaline had caught up to me by then and I couldn't end it on a good note. You know, that actually really annoys me. If only I had a smaller gun that's easier to handle…

No matter. I've finally reached Lieutenant. The same rank Ali held when he worked with XCOM during the initial invasion. I couldn't help but cry once we broke away from the landing pad and received the promotion. Sorry... this latest operation has taken a toll on me. Everything that's been going on has. Moreau, the Avatar project, those alien 'rulers' or whatever we're calling 'em. We still haven't even written an epitaph for Rai on the memorial wall. I know I've got people on this ship I can turn to if I need to let it all out, but for now – I think I'll keep to myself. At least until I can sort out my own shit. Sorry Jaz, you're gonna need to stick with Viv for the time being.

Of course, ADVENT never takes anything lightly. They've organized another retaliation strike. Moreau is being field tested for her new 'capabilities'. Sure, let's put the lives of innocent civilians in the hands of a total psychopath. Look at what happened to my own resistance camp before I joined XCOM. And we're giving her a rocket launcher? **Greeeat** **.** Hopefully Viviana and the others can keep her in line, but if a Chryssalid happens to wander by and devour Moreau limb by limb?

Yeah... 'I guess that'll be okay.'

Out.

* * *

Part 32 – Retaliatory Mission

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 32**

We jinxed it, didn't we? ADVENT must've been studying our troop formation of keeping everyone close together, because once our team on the ground encountered the first alien squad, the rest showed up within seconds in an overwhelming fashion. It's only now that I understand my role in terms of my scouting, concealment and finger pointing abilities. If we'd worked out beforehand how ADVENT had their units positioned - I don't know, maybe things would've been different? The pressure is starting to mount on the Commander. On all of us really. We lost another soldier ... Yutaka Saito ... I never spoke to him much, but he seemed friendly. Y'know it's so bad that we fight, we kill, we - die alongside each other, yet I never cherish the company I have on board this ship until it's gone. I'm not sure if that's something that came out of my own head or something Mason mentioned once. Either way, I need to fix that ASAP.

Viviana took some heavy blows too with Chryssalid's and MEC units making her a priority target, and Walker's serpent suit caught fire after a solid frag grenade landed near his feet. Luckily, the utility on his gear allowed him to grapple to safety. Of course, Moreau came out unscathed in all of this, which is just fucking great. Good people are dying all around us, and she's still walking about with her self-absorbed, utterly tactless - * sigh *. As expected, she'd managed to carry out a successful domination on an ADVENT officer despite Shen's reservations that there was basically a 50-50 chance of success. Forcing the officer to stand out in the open and draw the Chryssalids towards him rather than Viviana and the others, I'll admit probably helped. If Moreau hadn't done that, Viviana could've taken another Chryssalid swipe that she may not have been able to handle... Hmm ... No, I'm giving that psi op witch too much credit.

We've received word that the hideout of a highly experienced soldier is being pinged by an ADVENT relay somewhere on the West Coast of the United States. Commander's tasked us to help cover their tracks and hopefully recruit them to our cause. We always need more soldiers. More heroes, now more than ever after our recent operations. I was hoping to get my hands on that weird looking pirate pistol Aurantheus is wielding, but my armament has always been - well, yeah. At least Jasmine and I will be working together again. I can't wait to show her - show everyone that my last bit of action was _not_ a fluke.

Out.

* * *

Part 33 – Shinobi Rescue

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 33**

The passing of Saito and Rai must've really hit the Commander hard, because I swear he was drunk this entire operation. He assured us the whole mission that we'd all be okay in a light tone (Mason looked a bit miffed after taking two brutal shots) and he even mimicked "Nobody's" accent once or twice (He's Canadian). I even had a perfectly fine opportunity to kill the last remaining ADVENT soldier thanks to this superior stock on my rifle, but he insisted that I only scare the guy to flush him out of hiding. As much as I wanted that kill, I'm not one to disobey direct orders no matter how questionable. Reluctantly, I fired like I normally would - into nothing. Terrified, the trooper wandered out and caught a bolt to the face. At least I did my job I guess.

Y'know who else must've been drunk? Carmine for sure. That stunt she pulled towards the end there had Jasmine beaming with envy. She basically wandered out into the middle of the laundromat and dared ADVENT to take a shot. They obliged, only for absolutely nothing to happen. We all stared at her, dumbfounded. Only on the trip back home did she explain. Apparently, her backdoor into the ADVENT network allowed her to alter their perception of reality by penetrating their visual cortex and severing some nerves or something like that (she used a lot of big words). Basically, she literally mindfucked them into thinking they scored some critical shots on her. At least now we can make sense of what happened. Still, it was a bit disappointing to have the illusion ruined like that. It's like when those pre-invasion magicians revealed that they don't actually levitate, there was just some thin wire suspending them all along. Ah well... That was still pretty cool.

We're in the danger zone again, and we haven't a clue how to go about contacting the resistance forces in South Africa. We were going to build another comm tower, but we need more and more supplies each time as it gets harder to find the right components. Thankfully, we received a tip off that a VIP with valuable intel may be able to lead us to another alien facility in addition to the one we already know about. Even if we do get that info, we've yet to even begin to find a way to shut down the Avatar project permanently. Both our psi operatives are embarking on this mission. Moreau seems to have sobered up a tiiiiiny bit after Tygan ripped into her with a dressing down speech that went along the lines of "yeah, we kinda figured out everything you knew by the time you told us, and we didn't even have to butcher any human corpses to do it." At least she's admitted that she knows she's fucked in the head, but still, go Tygan...

The Avenger is becoming more and more like an asylum every day with all these mentally unstable soldiers we're picking up. This new Shinobi we found is no exception. I hope I don't start drawing on the walls or cutting up our fallen comrades any time soon...

Out.

* * *

Part 34 – Rooftop Battle

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 34**

I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting – of running, and hiding all the time as we fight ADVENT. It feels like we're losing anyway. All that's left to do now is to take down this alien facility and buy some more time. After that, I don't know what's going to happen. I mean, how much more can we take? Squad morale has hit rock bottom, and our faith in the future of our operations is almost non-existent. Like, here we are again, jetting off to another alien facility just hours before the Avatar project goes live. I'm logging this entry aboard the Skyranger just before we touch down because one, it took days for me to come to terms with Weger's passing. He was funny, smart, and an all-round great person to spend time with. To see him gone in a blink of an eye on top of the others we've lost, I could feel only numbness. And two, I'm logging this because I don't even know if I'll make it back considering our latest mishaps.

The Commander had warned that things were going to get tougher after our hot streak of victories, but harder is an understatement. To me, things look damn near impossible. Carmine's weapon's gone, our skulljack's gone, soldiers are dying, the Avatar project is on a fast-track to completion… Was this how my brother felt after the Commander had been abducted all those years ago and XCOM came crashing down? How Mason, Central and Shen felt? How the actual fuck have they still retained hope? Even the Commander's somehow holding it together, but I'm sure that deep down, he's probably withdrawn into a dark hole.

Jasmine literally went through hell to avenge Weger by setting herself on fire to take down as many alien assholes as she could. I know she's hurting as much as I am. And, as if things weren't bad enough that day, Moreau and Jasmine were the last two to evacuate after ADVENT sent forces to prevent us from extracting Weger's body and his equipment. I – don't know what to say. Moreau lost her only friend (even if she won't admit that she appreciated his company), and she had a perfect opportunity to leave Jasmine behind and save her own worthless ass. But she didn't. She kept channelling her focus toward her mind-controlled trooper, using him as a distraction so that Jasmine could make it to extraction. It's funny how quickly things can change. One minute you're at each other's throats, ready to snap necks, and the next you're fighting for your lives together against overwhelming odds. Don't get me wrong, I will never forgive Moreau for what she's done, but I guess – I just – I'm not sure about anything anymore. Is it wrong of me to say that I'm glad she now understands the pain I felt when I lost the only person that cared about me in the world at the time? Maybe this'll humanize her. Hmm. Actually, I wonder if she even feels this kind of pain at all…

Heidi and Euphoria, the two newcomers debuting on the latest mission did their best. I could hear some commotion coming from the psi lab downstairs. We're all blaming ourselves. Walker's the only one thinking rationally, telling us not to let Weger die in vain. It's just so hard... *sniff*

The lights have flashed red. We're almost here. Come on Priya... Get it together. For Weger.

Out.

* * *

Part 35 – Facility Takedown

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 35**

I've learned a lot over the past couple of months. About myself… about other people… about war. When we first hit the ground to destroy the alien facility, I was jaded… not in control. It felt like we were fighting a pointless battle, one that we were never going to win. The loss of another soldier, and a high-ranking one at that hit me hard.

But then I looked to my squadmates. Walker, Carmine, Jasmine, Vivi, and Fields. None were ready to throw in the towel. Nope, everything that had happened recently only made Walker angrier. The guy even pulled off a couple of trick shots towards the end as a big 'fuck you' humiliation tactic of sorts. Carmine looked pissed that she'd not only lost 'Song & Dance', but her promising protégée Weger as well. It took her a moment to adjust, but she got the hang of the mag rifle in the end. Jaz and Vivi dominated the front lines, hitting the aliens hard with their shard blasts, and Fields provided explosive support from afar, intent on seeing the facility levelled before we even placed the X4 charges. And me? I didn't want anyone else to die. I took point in concealment, making sure we knew exactly where our enemies were at all times to avoid any more nasty surprises.

After stomping the ADVENT units guarding the facility, Carmine asked Firebrand to circle overhead after Vivi dropped off the 'package'. Together, we watched as the remnants of the facility exploded in a massive fireball. Nobody said a word, but we were all thinking the same thing I'm sure. You hit us hard? We'll hit back even harder. We're down, but not out. In fact, we're climbing back to our feet already. The resistance has ambushed an ADVENT troop transport, bound to be filled with supplies we sorely need. The Commander jumped at the opportunity to deploy a team. It's time to get this snowball rolling.

But the main lesson I've learned from all this? It came from Walker the minute we got back to the Avenger. It was something someone else had passed on to him while he was part of the Shadow squad pre-invasion. Pulling me aside after dispersing from the deck, he put his hand on my shoulder and gave me the pep talk of my life. He told me that war isn't without casualties. That in the end, everyone dies one way or another… but the moment you make an impact on someone's life, the moment someone has a reason to remember you, whether it's because you loved them, or meant something to them, then are you really dead and gone? He nodded at my brother's dogtags dangling from my neck. I could only return a weak smile, remembering the feeling I had that Ali was with me when I executed that rushing Faceless a few weeks ago. That he came back to me the moment I reclaimed his tags from Moreau. My heart burned at the thought.

I can't give up now. Can't sit this war out. Ali, Rai, Saito, Weger. So long as we remember them, they live on through our memories and in our hearts. We fight not only for the future of those still alive, but to avenge those that have fallen. The moment we give up, we'll all be forgotten, and only then will we be truly dead and lost. Hmm… who knew Walker could be so philosophical…

Out.


	5. Logs 36 - 41

Part 36 – Euphoria

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 36**

The supply raid was more or less a success, despite the injuries. We scored some valuable pieces of tech and equipment, allowing Tygan and Shen to complete and fabricate the latest in weapons technology: pulse laser weapons. On top of that, we managed to dig up another lead on an alien facility. Tygan just needs to crack the alien encryption and we're good to crash another base. Nice. We're finally stabilizing after a crazy past couple of months. And with this new batch of firepower, we're only going to get stronger. ADVENT should've known that prey are most dangerous when their backs are against the wall…

In other news, the Commander came out and said what we've all been thinking today. He confessed that he'd been adopting a more aggressive and riskier approach to our latest operations rather than the days of old where we'd advance with caution. Mason, fresh out of the AWC, sniggered and asked the Commander to tell us something we don't know. I guess being sent to the medbay after every mission has kinda taken its toll on him. Jasmine kept quiet. Out of everyone, she probably sees where the Commander's coming from the most. She's a daredevil at heart after all, she lives for the risk and for the thrill. I like to think I softened her up a bit, especially after the numerous times she almost got herself killed (Operation Last Gift comes to mind), but Jaz will be Jaz. I've come to accept that… even appreciate it. Ugh, she really has poisoned my mind.

After my previous conversation with Walker, he seems to have warmed a little more towards me. He relinquished his flintlock pistol (aptly named Shadowkeeper, I wonder if he came up with that name) and placed it in my hands. I looked up at him, but he simply told me that the way the thing's sighted, I'd have no excuse for a missed shot. He frowned, sparing a glance toward Locke whose face was still flushed red. Poor girl… I know how it feels. I can't aim much better myself. Maybe I'll join her down in the shooting range later. Mason did extend an open invitation to practice with him after all. Locke and I are implied to be 'mandatory attendees'.

Walker also mentioned that scoring a kill with this 'shadowkeeper' would confuse any enemies nearby and allow me to re-conceal my position. Not sure how such an ancient weapon could handle that, but I'll take his word for it. The Commander's also offered to have what's called a 'stengun' fabricated, which wouldn't be as bulky as these rifles I've been using (it's just a fancy name for SMG). I'm pretty pumped… my kill count compared to the others is kind of low. Now I can't wait to get my hands on one…

Out.

* * *

Part 37 – Snakes and Robots

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 37**

Operation Hellborn Rage - at a church. Even Central's recovered his sense of humor now that we're all finally moving on. I have to admit, that whole operation had Odd written all over it (no pun intended, Commander). Not too sure if they're growing cannabis out in that field near the cathedral, or the whole place was just unholy ground or something. Whatever it was, it really did a number on my mind. Seriously, at first it was hard to scout ahead with this ridiculous fog. I basically said 'they're somewhere over there' and drew a big circle with my hand to the north-west. Everyone glared at me like some nutball. "You sure Priya?" they all asked. "We can't see shit." I got a bit nervous for a second. The guy was wearing white after all, it could've been a ghost! Well, turns out he wasn't seeing as our lasers burned holes through his armor after he finally surged forward into our field of vision. Still, it was kind of trippy to be the only one with eyes on a shieldbearer at one point that had his arm glowing in the dark.

Also, for the first time, I got to use this 'Shadowkeeper'. Walker was right, there was no way I could miss that shot. I shredded that sidewinder into pieces. "That's it!" I cried out, before covering my mouth. I'd been used to having my concealment break upon taking a shot, but it wasn't the case this time. Walker did mention that it'd keep me hidden, but I don't know. I marked it as item two of weird things on my list that mission. How the heck does firing that hand cannon keep me hidden? It doesn't make sense... Surely Tygan, Shen or Carmine can explain things... I'd better ask.

Then there's the case of that Great Archon I saw up close. Classic, cocky Walker ... he gave a nice friendly wave, followed by a thumbs up in his Icarus armor which sent the thing flying out of control towards the Sectopod in a fit of panic. I don't know, time seemed to slow down or something as it fired a shot before flying into the wall and disappearing. I was freaked. Glancing over my shoulder, I swear I could see it peeking out from behind the giant sign back near the road. I took a shot to flush it out, and it ended up vanishing! Like - what!? How!? 'Course, Molly and Walker weren't fazed and managed to finish it off (it was still in the building!). Maybe I need new glasses or something? It's been a while since I've seen an optometrist seeing as my face is plastered all over the ADVENT billboards in the city centers along with everyone else.

But weirdest of all, the Commander actually took the time to evaluate and calculate all of our orders. When he had me rush up to deploy the EMP grenade, my heart pounded as I considered the sidewinders slithering about on the roof. But ... the Commander had an answer for everything this time, and for the first time in a while, we had a flawless mission. Mason nearly clocked Protocall in its giant metal face as it stood on the landing deck, offering to take Mason down to the AWC as per usual. "Look who's talking you bloody tin can," he'd yelled out as smoke began to billow out of Protocall's arm. "Hell, I didn't even see you at my aim training session, and you were listed as mandatory!" I laughed... after such a long period of pain and misery, I laughed... So did Mason. Actually, so did everyone else. We're hanging in there... I hope...

Resistance HQ also managed to find a new recruit for us. Her name's Kyra Longfellow. All I know is that she's got some serious skills in terms of putting in the damage on the enemy. * sigh * Please don't be crazy ... please don't be crazy...

Out.

* * *

Part 38 – Brood Mother

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 38**

Eugh, Chryssalids! I've never been happier to be on the bench in my life. Those things with their claws and their cries … ugh they make me shiver. When one lunged at Carter, my heart skipped a beat, but that guy's got some smooth moves. Shoulda known seeing as he rocks that fedora like nobody else does in the middle of a war. Of course, when Jasmine said over comms that she was gonna punch the Chryssalid Queen for me knowing my fear of them, I should've known she wasn't kidding. It didn't seem to do much as expected, but I guess Jasmine wanted to show off who the true 'Queen' was. Then she had to go and take a swing at that Muton Elite nearby, who wasn't having any of it and actually swatted her down! They engaged in a little hand to hand before Qaeren launched herself behind the Muton and blasted him away like some kind of guardian angel. Just recapping it in my mind, the entire mission could've fallen apart at any minute, especially with that mad dash for the extraction. Thankfully, the Commander kept his guard up and got everyone out alive. Nice to see that we've learned from the past in regards to keeping our soldiers alive…

Heidi has a lot to be proud of as well. Her psionic training under the supervision of Major Longfellow seems to have paid off for the most part. She even managed to dominate the mind of the VIP and made him turn himself in without any sort of harm. She definitely showed some aptitude for thinking outside the box as the Commander prepared to assassinate him if the team couldn't escape in time. What we all didn't realise of course… was that this man was Vivi's brother… the very same man she'd told us had disowned her along with the rest of her family after she refused to star in any more ADVENT propaganda films.

I haven't been able to talk to Vivi since the mission. Jasmine's snuck out of the AWC a few times thanks to her PCS chip to try and comfort her, but apparently she hasn't had much success. The others, I can hear their whispers. There're rumours abound that Vivi might be an ADVENT mole or that she'll flip sides and try to escape with her brother now that we have him in custody. It's all bullshit. I can't see her doing any of that, not after she opened up about her family all those months ago (A/N: see Ep. 22's log), and not after all she's done for us. Still, I thought I had unfinished business with the whole Moreau episode and everything … Vivi was there for me during that. I'm not going to leave her side now. It's time to return the favour. I'm gonna stick up for her no matter what anyone else says. I'll turn up my sass to the max if I have to.

Mason wanted to head up the interrogation but Longfellow pulled rank and tried to have one of her psi ops mind meld with him instead to get the info. I can see why they had a bit of tension back in the old XCOM days now. We've been through so much already, and now Mr. Ferrari's presence is threatening to tear us all apart from the inside. Thankfully, just the threat of having Heidi inside his head again was enough to get him to blather everything. I wonder if he knows that his sister is aboard as well. Hmm… maybe we would've been better off having a stray bullet blow up the flammable tires on his Ferrari, and never finding out who he was. Ignorance truly would've been bliss this time…

Out.

* * *

Part 39 – Device on Fire

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 39**

Walker, Heidi, Carter, Mason, Carmine and Protocall… they did their best… They did their damn best to keep that relay up and running, but in the end ADVENT was just too strong. We sent the best we had, but so did ADVENT it seems. The Commander's right though, we should be proud of what they were able to overcome considering the opposition they had to face down on the ground. It's truly a miracle that they all came back alive. No wonder Central spent two decades searching for the Commander. What more could he bring out of a team of six up against another Hive Queen (guess Mr. Ferrari miscounted how many his team had engineered), something called a Gatekeeper, a squad of Muton centurions and other alien crap. Our troops came back with their heads hung low and shoulders dropped, but that didn't stop the rest of us from greeting them on the landing pad with hugs and cries of relief that nobody died (Carter, Mason and Heidi came uncomfortably close to meeting their maker).

ADVENT really wanted that relay down considering it was DDoSing the ADVENT network and slamming the brakes on their Avatar project research progress. Unfortunately, it's 2035 and fire still doesn't mix very well with electronics, and the aliens were able to send some reinforcements in a last ditch effort to ensure that the device was destroyed. That bought enough time for it to crumble into a pile of ash. Now that it's gone, the progress on the Avatar project surged forward and we're back into panic mode. The only silver lining in all of this was that we were probably going to end up at this point sooner or later anyway. At least, that's what the Commander told us in the latest briefing. He acknowledged that we're all mad and disappointed. Not at ourselves for failing, but at the aliens for snatching a victory right under our noses. They pulled some low blows in order to come out on top this time. "We can't win 'em all," the Commander said, "but that's XCOM! We're gonna bounce back." He then dropped a few 'f' bombs which echoed as he stormed down the hall. Still, that sentiment sounded eerily similar to something I heard him say when Protocall's first form bit the dust after a critical shot behind some full cover. Is that his coping mechanism for when things turn to shit that are outside our control? That's probably how he keeps his cool in all of this, no matter what the universe throws at us.

Again, we're sending our top dogs down to deal with this mess. Our tried and true tactic of letting them get within 24 hours of completion before we crush their hopes and dreams is in play once more. Surely, it'll revitalise morale around here once we hear the usual cusses and screams of frustration over the ADVENT network after we've blasted another one of their facilities. I'm not going, but Jasmine knows I'll be watching over her. Let's hope there isn't another Hive Queen protecting the facility. Now that Mason ended up punching one to show Jasmine that it wasn't a big deal, she might try one upping him, and things could only spiral out of control from there…

Out.

* * *

Part 40 – Facility Push

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 40**

It's nearly Christmas… And this long war we're engaged in is starting to resemble a ping pong battle. ADVENT wrecks our DDoS relay, we wreck their Avatar research facility. We wreck that, and ADVENT retaliates on an unsuspecting resistance camp. On the bright-ish side… We kill about fifteen of them, they only injure two of us. It was business as usual for our squad as they dropped off the X4 charges and got the hell out of there hours before the Avatar project was set to finish. That ADVENT officer they ran into before extraction is probably glad he's dead … if the ADVENT leaders found out that he'd wandered off for a midday stroll and came back to a smouldering ruin, he'd probably be suffering a fate worse than death right about now. Not that I care…

Resistance HQ's been working overtime to dig up new soldiers out of hiding to replace our fallen. First Major Longfellow, and now this guy … Colonel Movses - something. When I first saw the 'new guy' wandering the halls in that helmet, I spilled my hot chocolate everywhere and almost tackled him. Well, he turned out to be pretty agile and stepped aside like a matador as I charged right past him and into Central, knocking his own coffee out of his hands. Growling, Central explained that Movsesthingy wasn't an ADVENT spy that infiltrated the Avenger, but a former stun lancer turned high ranking resistance operative that probably would've wasted me in a hand-to-hand fight anyway. Oops! I quickly apologized and ducked away before Central could order me on janitor duty.

Central wasn't lying about the guy's skills. Jasmine might finally have a fencing partner that could match her in the GTS. Not only that, but his technical skills rival that of Carmine's in terms of infiltrating the ADVENT network seeing as he probably had hands on experience with their hardware. Just before deployment to fend off the retaliation, he was given the responsibility of wielding the skulljack into battle. His lips stretched into an unsettling smile, and seeing that that's the only part of his face that we can see, it made me glad that he's on our side. He's very quiet, but well spoken. My guess is that he wants to atone for all the deeds he'd done during his time with the CCPC. He doesn't look very proud to be wearing that helmet, but he must wear it for a reason… penance maybe? So long as he puts the hurt on the aliens, Col. Movses – Movsesyan (there we go!) can wear whatever he wants I guess.

Walker, "Texas Ranger" (don't ask, the guy's been high on his meds) and Fields are out due to injury. I heard Walker roasting Mason the other day in the AWC. That is, until he started yelling after Mason flicked his cigarette onto Walker's face and asked "how's that for a burn?" Boys will be boys… God bless the poor engineers that have to babysit our injured crew.

Out.

* * *

Part 41 – FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY JAKE SOLOMON

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 41**

So that's how ADVENT want to play it huh? **SO THAT'S HOW ADVENT WANT TO PLAY IT?**

The Commander said it best. We're done dicking around. They want to snuff us out? They want us gone? They couldn't even fucking eradicate that resistance camp. Two of our own, Movsesyan and 'Nobody' gave their lives to protect the innocent, and we were able to preserve the resistance network in that region. Everyone else? They fought tooth and nail to stay alive, to repel the attack, and they succeeded (yes, even Moreau helped keep everyone else alive by keeping that floating golf ball in stasis half the time). Because that's what us humans do. We're stubborn like that, never knowing when to quit. So yeah, things may look bad in terms of XCOM's future, but the truth is, ADVENT aren't unbeatable just yet. In fact, we're fired up more than ever to strike back. I can tell the Commander's starting to get nervous about the prospects of our campaign to overthrow the ADVENT coalition, but for us, the lowly troops under his command? I think it's high time we show him that we're not ready to give up. We'll fight to the bitter end if we have to. It's one of the things I learned about being a soldier.

This latest operation was déjà vu for me. I knew how those civilians felt, feeling the walls closing in as Chryssalids and Mechs hunted for rebels. When they attacked my resistance sanctuary, I'd been helpless and down for the count after taking a plasma shot to the gut. My brother Ali had dived to push me out of the way, which saved my life. He must have thought I'd died but in truth I was in shock and unresponsive. I could only watch as those Mutons dragged him away, kicking and screaming out my name as I slowly bled out. When the resistance had confirmed his death a few months later, I – it was hard… I thought it would bring me closure, but it didn't. My loving, happy-go-lucky older brother was gone, and I hadn't been able to do anything to stop it. After everything he'd done for me since we lost our parents, I couldn't do anything to save him. So when I heard that the XCOM project was being revived, I signed up straight away. I wanted to be closer to him. To understand all he'd fought for and why. To get the closure I so badly needed. And now, I can safely say that being part of this … it's been the best decision I've ever made. The friends I've made, the trials and tribulations we've all gone through… I would do it again in a heartbeat. Why am I saying this? Because I know it's you that's being going through my logs... Commander. So please… don't give up. Don't stop fighting. We're with you until the very end sir.

The AWC has gone quiet, despite the number of occupants dwelling within. No more silly banter. No more joking around. Time to get serious. To get real. If anyone needs a reminder of what's at stake, Mason told us to take a look at all the bunks freeing up lately, and the growing number of photos plastering our memorial wall down by the bar. Nobod - no one bothered to argue, not like we have time anyway. We've got a guerrilla op coming up, then we'll need to hit another alien facility. ADVENT's just as persistent as us it seems. The Commander's outfitted me with an EXO suit, an incendiary grenade and one of the fully kitted rifles. "You're gonna be very active this mission," he told me, looking into my eyes. Staring at all the ordnance at my disposal, I gave a curt nod, understanding what he expects of me. I've got one objective:

Blow. Everything. Up.

Out.


	6. Logs 42 - 46

Part 42 – Redemption for the Fallen

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 42**

I doubt ADVENT have their own memorial wall for their fallen, but if they did, it'd probably look like an art gallery. Sort of like our trophy room where we added a couple more heads and wrecks to our special collection. Or maybe they just print out an obituary catalogue for the month or something. In any case, we knocked them on their asses hard. Like seriously, whooped them. Even their Viper units have lost their balls lately, firing on their own comrades after discovering the fate of the only male of their species: to be a handy piece of armor with a comfy scarf sewn in for good measure. Too bad there weren't any Berserkers or Archons to chase off. Walker's like some kind of mecha robot in one of the animes my brother and I used to watch together when he wears that Icarus suit. Hmm, I wonder if they'll start making more animes after the war is over…

ADVENT's R&D team were at it again, piecing together a side job now that the Avatar project has been wrapping up for the fourth and hopefully not last time. They must've figured out that our lack of armor penetration and shredding has been plaguing us recently. Too bad I scrubbed all their detailed schematics off their servers, and I'm not even joking about the detailed bit. I downloaded one of the surveillance videos stored in their project directory where an actual tailor attempted to make measurements on a Muton. Guess there was a reason the video had the word 'attempt' on it seeing as he got stabbed midway through wrapping the measuring tape around the Muton's waist. Then I dropped a spike on the network, hopefully pushing back whatever else they were working on for at least two weeks. It was the best I could do, seeing as I didn't have time to uncover what their alternate project was. Their science division must be racking up the overtime hours.

We've also been getting some further insights into our Commander today. He admitted to going through some of our private logs (nosy). Poor Walker, I've never seen his face so red after the Commander confessed that he agreed with Walker's self-evaluation regarding his damage output. Yeesh, have a private convo with him at least. Even Carmine felt a little bad for him, but she couldn't hide that sly smirk when she learned that Walker had started keeping his own logs. Then the Commander singled me out and complimented my performance. I was literally speechless. I'd been working so hard to sort out my attitude over these past few months, I'm glad it's finally paid off. Even Central agreed (such a yes man). That made me so happy. I'm proud to call myself an XCOM operative, and to hear that I did good from the Commander… It meant a lot.

He also mentioned something about his advisors. None of us had any idea what he was on about, so Dr. Tygan's trying to work out if the Commander still has some residual access to the ADVENT network despite having his chip plucked out, or if he's schizo. Hopefully he finds out soon, because the A team's heading out on another sabotage mission. We need another flawless mission out of this, and if anyone achieve that, it's them.

Out.

* * *

Part 43 – 3 Pipper

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 43**

Talk about a major setback! Apparently, this was one of the main research hubs for the Avatar project. Destroying it seems to have sent the aliens spiraling back into the dark ages. Happy festive season ADVENT! It's about time we took our eye for an eye after their retaliation strike at Liberty Hills. If Movsesyan couldn't find atonement for his deeds in life, we sure as hell found it for him. Well, Jaz did anyway in true stun lancer fashion. While everyone encroached on the facility's perimeter, she ended up diving inside via the rooftop. No one could see anything, but we could definitely hear the buzz of the ionic axe being hurled, swung and an unnatural shriek not unlike a Berserker's. Between the PCS chip implanted within her, that RAGE suit she's rocking and her whole muscular thing she has going on, I wouldn't be surprised if she literally transformed into She-Hulk in there.

Speaking of tanks, I know the Commander mentioned that Jaz was one (agreed), but then we also have Major Longfellow on our side. She's definitely a force of nature out there. Not only did she fully absorb a direct blast from a Gatekeeper and poison from a Chryssalid, but she managed to disable a Sectopod with her pistol! Her pistol! That huge thing!? With her pistol! Even Mr. Texas Ranger was impressed, and the only person who impresses that guy is himself. She's not the only one who dominated out there that day though. The Commander finally saw it fit to promote Carmine to a Brigadier, the highest honor he can bestow. Only the best indeed. We held a celebration in the bar, sharing memories and stories of our fallen comrades seeing as we still haven't written any epitaphs (Weger's 'no arms' prank still gets a laugh out of us). Finally, things appear to be heading back on track for us... God I hope so...

I also have to say that Major Longfellow's personal mentorship program with Heidi seems to be paying off dividends as of late (thank God she chose Heidi over Moreau for this initiative). Heidi's been getting better at handling her psionic powers, probably due to Longfellow's soothing voice. Even the headaches aboard the Avenger are starting to subside, which is great because our aspirin supply is running low thanks to her. Fortunately, we've received word of another supply raid opportunity on an ADVENT train, so hopefully we can restock. There's also the fact that we don't have the materials to mass produce a new type of powered armor Tygan's managed to design. This supply raid is exactly what we need to cement our status as a threat to the ADVENT regime. They may have cooled our jets recently, but now's our chance to turn the heat right back up. It's going to be a bloody Christmas.

Out.

* * *

Part 44 – Supply Train

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 44**

Like total grinches, we plundered that ADVENT train full of goodies and made off with our loot in explosive fashion. Unfortunately, ADVENT didn't go down without a fight. Turns out they assigned a mixed squad of Archons, Mutons and Mechs to defend the goods, and they were all too happy to lob some explosive presents our way. Carmine's GREMLIN put in some overtime, zipping around the battlefield in an effort to keep everyone alive. Still, they were no match for our team on the ground, with Heidi gradually showing off more and more of her psionic potential out there. She barely fired her weapon that night, opting to mind-fuck them whenever she had a chance. She even turned a Centurion into her own personal puppet. Lucky she had enough common sense to sever the strings once they'd cleared the area. I have a feeling Moreau would've tried to invite him aboard for "research purposes".

Professor Fields ended up retreating into his dorm the moment he earned his promotion to concoct some kind of new recipe for his volatile arsenal. Guess all those explosions our squad ran into gave him some kind of new idea to try out. The very next morning, I found him outside the Avenger with his grenade launcher surveying our surroundings. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me that when he tries to test out his grenades inside the Avenger, people look at him funny. Duh, dumb question Priya. Anyway, whatever Fields came up with, it certainly worked. The grenade blast left a crater the size of Godzilla's footprint, and our crew inside had mobilized for an imminent Avenger Defense after hearing the thundering boom. Fields and I both turned to see half our troops on the ramp holding whatever weapons they could find (poor Walker only had his trousers and the Icarus helmet on). Central wasn't impressed, but then again, does that guy even know how to smile?

Tygan's been looking a bit sulky lately as well, seeing as all the supplies we'd recently acquired were invested in other pursuits rather than his latest breakthrough of powered armor. We've recruited another soldier for the cause, a Colonel by the name of Marshall Skadden. He seems very intellectual, but it's always those smart ones that have something to hide, especially when they use big words all the time. He's definitely not as warm as Longfellow was when she first joined us. I might keep an eye on him for a bit just in case.

Poor Mason's been looking more frustrated than ever seeing as these high ranking soldiers are only coming out of the woodwork now to join our cause. He respects the idea of having a chain of command too much, and resents having another soldier on board to report to, especially one that hasn't gone through the trials and tribulations the rest of us have. I think he's trying to organise some kind of side project involving us lower ranks in an effort to keep himself involved seeing as our 'training sessions' have become hopelessly repetitive. I hope he's not planning some kind of revolution or anything, but the idea sounds good if we can get away with it. Pfft, I'm a rogue, of course I can get away with it. Oh shoot… Commander, if you're listening (and you probably are too, damn it), forget I said anything!

Out.

* * *

Part 45 – Bradford's Motivation

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 45**

Uh oh Jaz, looks like you've got some serious competition on your hands now! Colonel Skadden definitely proved his worth the other day, holding his own on the front lines and taking down as many ADVENT units as possible (he even pulverized a Gatekeeper!). By the time the others reached the prison's perimeter, Skadden had already given the all clear and had even let the VIP out of her cell! The alien interceptors probably hadn't even taken off by the time our squad returned to the Skyranger with our newest engineer in tow. That 'lightning strike' tactic we dreamt up in the GTS definitely helped in that regard.

Skadden… Hmm… I'll admit, when he first joined with us, I went a little nuts with all the probing about his history. But he kept his cool and had an answer for everything (lawyers are well-prepared like that I guess). I don't know. Maybe there's something dark about his past, maybe there isn't. Surely not everyone signing up for the XCOM project are washed out psychopaths (Moreau) or high ranking ex-ADVENT members (Movsesyan). Jaz seems convinced that he's hiding something, but I just want to believe he's well and truly on our side. He seems like a good guy once I got to speak to him a little more. Smart. Humble. I hope I'm not wrong about him, 'cause he's damn good… Really good! Gosh, listen to me, I sound like I'm fangirling out here. Ahem.

Dr. Tygan's finished his evaluation on the Commander regarding his so-called advisors and came up negative on the insanity part (our Psi-Ops are now clear of suspicion). Instead, he's retargeted his efforts into figuring out why the Commander has caught onto some "amnesiac tendencies", especially relating to something as critical as our new powered armor units. I personally think it's just something to do with age … he did just celebrate his birthday. I've never seen Central party as much as he has over the past couple of days, probably because it's his first birthday celebration with the Commander in over twenty years, so he felt he had a lot of catching up to do. Whatever the case, he made a toast to quote 'kicking the Speaker in the balls and feeding him to a group of Hive Queens'. Of course, none of us were sober so we cheered along with him like it made total sense.

Everyone else went super crazy as well. Walker scrambled up onto the bar and announced his New Year's resolution was to adopt a Muton and name it Garrus, following on from his previous conversations with Carmine and Heidi. To be honest, the Muton would probably wreck his face. Hmm… there's an idea. Maybe if he does adopt one, we should call it Wrex instead. Anyway, Walker then tried to use his Icarus boots to slow his fall … even though he was only jumping from the table. Luckily Heidi managed to Stasis him before he shot up through the ceiling. Classic Batch began to hyperventilate at the sight and had to be punched out by Mason to keep him from blowing the whole room up. Poor guy, I guess some people never change. Maybe Batch's 2036 resolution can be to find a way to calm down… I know mine is to keep my attitude under control and not be so twitchy all the time – though to be honest, I'll probably forget about it come February.

Out.

* * *

Part 46 – Feel the Bern

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 46**

Months have gone by since we hit that ADVENT Blacksite and snatched that vial, and only now have we finally constructed a facility capable of studying its contents. I've never seen Tygan so excited. Completion of a brand new science lab and we were able to fabricate his designs for powered armor? Hell, even the rest of us couldn't help but smile. All except for Mason of course. He was about to literally tear the whole Avenger apart (without the RAGE suit even) when he found out that Resistance HQ had dug up another Colonel by the name of Arctorus aka "The Experiment". Thankfully, the Commander caught on to Mason's rampant emotions and threw him a bone: a spot on the squad heading down for the latest op to extract a VIP.

Poor Mason. Cabin fever seems to have hit him the most out of all of us. I'll admit, I'm disheartened too that I haven't had a chance to head out there and kick some alien ass, but what can I do? I'm only a Lieutenant compared to the other, more senior soldiers. I only hope that Mason has enough sense to put his conflict with Walker to rest out there after our New Year's bash. Come to think of it, same goes for Walker. I know he's been trying to pull off this 'Kubikiri' shot he's been promising to show us, but we've yet to see any result out of it. I'm scared they'll both try to one-up each other and both will end up… well, end up not coming back.

Men and their egos, seriously. How hard is it to show some humility? I mean, look at Col. Skadden! He's like Jaz 2.0! Or maybe Jaz is Skadden 2.0 (ooh, if she caught me saying that…). He pulled off some more badass moves out there and didn't say a word about it, opting to compliment Longfellow (aka Spiderwoman) and the others for a job well done instead. In true Shinobi fashion, he sprinted ahead of everyone else and showed off his CQC skills. That guy's packing some serious muscle for a lawyer. While our psi-ops would normally channel their energy to put that giant floating golf ball in a sort of stasis bubble, Col. Skadden simply tossed his axe and stunned the thing long enough for the others to clean up the rest of the enemy. I'll admit, that little manoeuver had me beaming a little. When he found himself caught in a mini inferno, I shouted for Carmine to heal him, only for her to tap my shoulder and stare at me blankly. Guess I'm just used to seeing her on the live feed rather than in person these days. Thankfully, Skadden found his own way out of it unharmed.

Hmm… I know the Commander said that Mason might be jealous (wouldn't blame him), but I wonder if Jaz is as well. New guy on the block, showing up everyone else on missions… Hehe… I might tease her a little the next time we spar… I wonder if he'll take up her invitation to join us? I hope so… maybe I'll learn another thing or two.

I've also noticed Locke skulking around recently. She's been looking kind of shifty these past few weeks. I'm not sure if she's got something going on with someone, and if she has, no one's told me anything. Probably for the better I think. All I know is that she's been keeping her eye on Col. Skadden lately, casting some suspicious glances his way. I guess Jaz isn't the only one with a funny feeling about him. Maybe I just really want him to be good, but surely those two won't be able to dig up anything bad on him… right?

Out.


	7. Logs 47 - 49

Part 47 – Stay With Me

 **Lt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 47**

Damn it, I hate it when I'm right about these things. Of course Mason and Walker got into the most trouble out there. Mason had a lot to prove, but the rust of non-action seemed to have plagued him the entire mission. He fired rapidly and wildly, barely landing anything. Then he had to charge in and alert the entire building to the team's presence and put everyone's lives at serious risk. And don't even get me started on the structural integrity of the building that housed our extraction zone quickly falling apart. Thankfully, we had Heidi out there, inspiring Mason with words of comfort rather than the Commander's rather blunt comment about his aim. Then we had Mr. Texas Ranger literally go through a series of unfortunate events starting with him being snatched and grabbed through a window.

Carmine had to bail him out not once, but twice during that operation. First time, she broke the bind the Viper held on Walker. She joked that he owed her at least a snippet of his 'personal log' for that. Unfortunately, the mood took a sharp dive soon after. Walker had been dragged into Viper territory, and the other snakes promptly pumped him with plasma blasts. I'll be honest, we all thought he was dead and gone, but his vitals showed otherwise. Walker's tough, and whatever was keeping him alive that day must have been strong. I heard a woman whisper 'stay with me' under their breath, but I couldn't tell who. Sensing a comrade in danger, Mason, the old war dog that he is, made a dash for Walker's last known position to strike down one of those slimy bastards with the axe while the others took down the other nearby hostiles.

Second time Carmine bailed him out was when she stabilized his bleeding, having her GREMLIN cauterize the wounds to the best of its ability, as well as disperse some smelling salts for him to regain consciousness. The others secured the building, and Mason offered to haul Walker up to extraction. A dazed Walker thanked him for the concern, but he ended up flying there instead. Typical. But aww, they do care for each other after all, not that we need these kind of traumatic experiences to show that we all do care for one another. Mason may be rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart. The entire Bridge breathed a collective sigh of relief as the entire team made it back to the Skyranger. Locke promptly fled the room, looking rather pale. She seemed to take Walker's near-death moment the hardest out of us. Perhaps she'd been the one who'd whispered those words, I don't know for sure.

The minute the team arrived back at the Avenger, I was surprised to see who made their way through everyone else to get a look at Walker: Moreau. She asked Tygan to step aside as she approached the injured soldier to have a look. "There's a reason I'm called 'the Doctor', now shut up, and let me have a look at him," she'd snapped. Tygan stepped aside and Moreau spared a glance at a worried Locke, giving a curt nod of reassurance. Normally I'd voice my disapproval, or even toss a comment about how Moreau was probably going to dissect him, but I found that Moreau seemed genuine in her wish to give Walker some medical aid. She gave him a quick once-over, determining that he'd lost a lot of blood, and that we'd probably need to steal some more from a hospital sooner rather than later. Sounded like the kind of side operation Mason would want to get involved in.

In any case, Walker's been sent down to the AWC for a much earned rest. He's been so different lately, even before that op. It's like he's sobered up a little. He hasn't been pulling off his trick shots, and his cocky charm seems to have disappeared. I suppose even our finest soldiers are starting to suffer weariness from this war. Maybe I should give him a pep talk, just like the one he gave me after Weger died… But what would some lowly rogue like me have something to say to a Colonel that's an expert marksman...?

We had a quiet few days aboard the Avenger after that. Marshall (he insisted I drop the 'Col. Skadden' thing, which I gladly will!) accepted Jaz's invite to our training session. Man, that guy is wild. He uses a blitz type fighting style, looking to lay down the damage before the enemy even has a chance to react. Not to mention, he's even more tankier than Jaz, and that's without any special PCS augments installed. I'll admit, it was real exciting to watch him and Jaz go at it. I don't know who won exactly, but I might give the sliiiiiight advantage to Marshall in the end.

We exchanged smiles before he rubbed his head and said that he had to head off somewhere with a concerned look on his face. I asked if I could catch up with him later to go over a bit more training, and to my delight, he said he'd try and make some time! Ooh, I can't wait. I've probably learned all I could from Jaz and Vivi… and with this guerrilla op coming up, I'm gonna need to be at my best. Of course, Jaz had to have the last say: 'it's always the nice ones that have something to hide bahan. Please be careful.' I don't know what's gotten into her, but I'm a big girl… I think I can make up my own mind about other people thank you very much.

Out.

* * *

Part 48 – Damned Widow

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 48**

I got another promotion. I don't know how I feel about it. Everyone has been giving me praise and congratulations, but … I don't know. My brother only made Lieutenant back when he was with the original XCOM project, and now here I am, supposedly outranking him as a Captain. I know he'd cheer me on and say I deserved it if he was here, but … do I really though? Jasmine's been real happy for me, especially since we both got promoted at the same time. She's a Colonel now, and I'll be the first to say that it's about time she was recognised as one of the top soldiers. Still, it's an honour to have come this far. A year and a half ago, before this all started and I volunteered for duty, I never expected that I'd be in this position. I'm not gonna squander this opportunity.

I forgot how scary it can be out there. It's been a while since I've seen action, and by action, I mean actually shooting things once I've broken concealment. It didn't help that our squad makeup was that of some of our lower ranks. We were definitely more sloppy, especially if you compare it to the past couple of missions the others have been on. I even got spotted straight away, putting unnecessary pressure on the rest of the squad. It definitely wasn't the greatest of starts, and I'm a bit embarrassed I screwed it up like that. I hope Marshall didn't see... Thankfully, the others caught up and provided immediate support. Throughout the op, we missed some of our more crucial shots, and by the end of it, half of us had taken some hits. I started off okay, but I guess the adrenaline got a bit too much and I started whiffing again. Doesn't help that these rifles are so cumbersome to hold and use for me.

I spoke to Tygan, and he told me he's submitted numerous SMG designs over the past year to the Commander for approval. I guess we never really had the resources to put together something due to all those comm towers we've been building around the world. In any case, I don't expect the Commander to fund this project just to keep me happy, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of our more mobile soldiers would prefer to use these smaller weapons also. I guess I'll just have to make do with these rifles for now. To compensate, I've changed my 'rules of engagement' (Marshall taught me that term), opting to try and flush enemies out of hiding so others can take a shot rather than trying to hit them outright. It still needs a bit of work… but some more training wouldn't hurt.

Still, despite our lower ranks and reduced combat experience, I think we did quite well. That sparring session Marshall and Jaz had really paid off dividends. Guess she did learn something from him, because she recycled his blitz style tactic of striking a Gatekeeper up close, followed by exploiting a weakness in the outer shell's hull and tossing the axe into it for a stun. She's definitely not ready to hit the bench, and it shows. If Jaz hadn't come on the mission, I don't know how I would've been able to keep myself calm. I'm glad she came. While a lot of us still haven't had much of a chance to shine individually, we're still a hell of a team. Actually, Aurantheus pulled off some nice headshots, including one that knocked out the shields deployed by a Shieldbearer with one well-placed shot to his brain. Heidi's really come into her own as a psi operative, unleashing an impressive array of psionic abilities on the enemy. Still, sometimes she gets a bit excited to put them to use, and she ended up putting a Gatekeeper in stasis just before I could fire a bluescreen round into it.

As an apology, I ended up taking the kill shot on the floating orb. Such a satisfying moment. Then we had Fields quite literally blazing through the enemy after getting caught in the Archon's blazing pinions. Unable to use his grenade launcher during that time, he ended up blasting through the aliens with his laser rifle instead, proving that he ain't a one trick pony. Finally, we had Haussman spraying lasers all over the place and wrecking the aliens like there was no tomorrow. You'd think with something that bulky and heavy, she wouldn't be able to land most of her shots, but she actually somehow pulls it off. I'm guessing Saito's death is still on her mind. On hers and Aurantheus' mind in fact, seeing as the three of them had joined us at the same time. I know they were close.

Again, we had quite a few days of no activity from the aliens side. Perhaps they've given up on their Avatar project? I wish. Fields has started to become a little more social on board the ship. He was one of those that congratulated me and told me how important my role was. Same with Mason as well. He even gave me some aiming advice, which I might try out next time I hit the range. I'll admit that it was nice of some of these older guys to give me this encouragement. Seems to me that they've led long, harsh lives under ADVENT control. Mason even admitted that he was an old and spiteful man, but that's not true. He may be a fierce warrior, but he's got a heart of gold. Same with Professor Fields. He seems to have come to terms with the life he's lived. I hope that if – no, when we do win this war, those two find some peace. God knows they deserve it.

Marshall also wished me congratulations on my promotion. I told him it was all thanks to his training and advice he'd given me just before deployment. He asked if I was still on for the dinner, especially now that we had something to celebrate. Hehe… I told him yes, absolutely! I really enjoyed our time together working on my tactics. I hope I didn't put him off with more of my questions. I can tell something's bothering him though. I don't know what it is, whether it's the fact that half our team is suspicious of him still, or if it's his past catching up with him… I really hope I can get through to him. He's really nice, he's funny, he's caring, and most of all, he seems to understand me better than anyone except maybe Jaz. I just want to be there for him… To let him know that he can count on me for anything… Hmm… I've never felt this way about someone before…

Out.

* * *

Intermission – Priya's Response to Skadden at Dinner (Part 48 by Alex P)

Priya paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she processed the information. It hadn't been what she'd expected, that's for sure. She could feel Skadden's gaze on her, studying for any sort of reaction. The colour draining from his face hinted his immediate regret at sharing this particular piece of personal history.

"I – look, if you think anything ill of me, I wouldn't blame –"

"No," Priya said, cutting across him. "No, it's not that." She locked eyes with Skadden, smiling weakly. "Actually, I – I'm glad you came clean with me."

Skadden raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"

Priya nodded. "I'm glad that you told me this yourself… that I didn't find out about it from someone else."

"Oh." Skadden allowed himself to relax a little, leaning back in his seat as Priya continued.

"What you've done isn't the important thing I got out of what you said." She reached her arm across the table for his hand. "What's important is that you feel remorse for what you've done. The fact that what you did still haunts you every day proves that I was right about you."

He gave a small smile, feeling comfort in her words. "Right about what, exactly?"

"That you really are a genuinely good person. That despite all the horrible things you think you may have done, you're still trying to lead a good life."

He laid his free hand on top of hers. "… Thanks Priya."

Priya felt her heart race, feeling the warmth of his touch. "I can see now why you're so hesitant to tell everyone else though, but really, I'm sure the others would understand as well. You aren't the first ex-ADVENT sympathizer we've had on board."

"No," Skadden said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not. They wouldn't understand … they'd crucify me. Mason especially, seeing as someone else like me had probably authorized his torture and incarceration. And don't get me started on Jaz and her words to me when I first came aboard."

"But Jaz –"

"Priya, please."

She ceased her protest, recalling her promises to him prior to the conversation.

"You're the only person I trust with this, okay? I promise… when the time's right, I'll find a way to let everyone else know. But for now – let's get started on dessert, shall we?"

* * *

Part 49 – Can We Recruit Him

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 49**

I guess it was about that time again that ADVENT unleashed another retaliatory strike against a resistance outpost. They can't make progress on their Avatar project so they swoop down and try to destroy one of our camps instead. It sounds exactly like the kind of logic the aliens would have. We sent down our higher ranks to pick up the pieces and drive back the invading ADVENT force, and I'd say they did a pretty damn good job considering our past experiences with these kind of search and rescue operations. The team managed to save most of the civilians and threw down successfully against a rather imposing ADVENT extermination squad. That said, they did suffer a couple of injuries. The usual suspects, Jaz and Mason have hit the AWC once again, with Mason taking a rather brutal shot from that towering Sectopod. At least he got his revenge by rapid firing it into oblivion. Of course, Jaz had to let a Chryssalid get up close (one of the smaller ones, thank God) so she could take a swipe at it. I'm surprised though that she didn't give the Icarus armor's jet propulsion boots a try given her daredevil nature. I can just imagine her blasting into the sky only to drop down on top of a Hive Queen and slamming her axe into its brain. Then again, we all know their true weak point is quote "in the Chryssalids" (Commander's words, not mine).

Carmine also took a slash from another wandering Chryssalid, but it's nothing she couldn't handle. She hasn't been seeing much field action as she had before, despite being our only Specialist and medic. Guess it comes with the territory of being a Brigadier. I wonder if the Commander will ever groom her for a leadership role? Supposedly we have the ability to do so within the G.T.S. but who knows? I know she's had a bit of a hard time getting used to the rifle weaponry after wielding the Bolt Caster for so long, but she's holding her own quite nicely. And dare I say it, Moreau's been capable out in the field in her own right. Of course, her abilities were never one to be doubted, it's just the personality behind it all. Still, Weger's death all those months ago seems to have sobered her up. I can tell because she still has his dogtags just like I have my brother's. She may have even made a friend in Locke. It's not as though I talk to Moreau much if at all, but at least I don't feel the urgent need to smack her in the face every time I see her like I did a few months ago.

Fields didn't set himself on fire this time, so he managed to perform his usual routine of blowing crap up with great success. Every time the Commander gives him an order relating to explosives, he always shows off this wicked smile. It's really quite devious. Lucky for the civilians, none ended up getting caught in one of the rocket blasts or acid pools our team deployed left, right and centre. One of the campers even managed to avoid hails of bullets from an ADVENT gunner for quite a while, but we couldn't save him in time. There's always a few we can't save. I was lucky someone managed to rescue me when my settlement was attacked… I wish I could say the same for my brother.

You know who was on fire though? Major Longfellow. Holy … potatoes … She put the hurt on the ADVENT forces big time, executing enemy units and darting around like it was a training exercise. I've heard the others joking around; looks like Mr. Texas Ranger's got some serious competition in terms of marksmanship. I honestly don't know who'd outgun who though. Major Longfellow's got some incredible skills, but Walker's huge ego probably wouldn't allow him to fail.

Speaking of Walker, I don't know what he was thinking popping on that ridiculous costume in hopes of getting some action so soon after 'The Incident' (that's what he calls it). He went from "Sean 'Shadow' Walker" to "Sean 'Neon' Walking Bullseye" within a second. The Commander promptly benched him for his little prank. Guess jokes really are about the timing considering civilians were dying when he pulled off that stunt. Otherwise, I wonder if Locke's been giving him some fashion tips… Hmm actually, I think I finally figured out what's going on with her and Walker the other day, and I have to say I'm happy for them. It all makes so much sense now after his near death experience. I'm so glad he's still with us. He's a fighter, and I don't know what we'd do without him, no matter what shenanigans that guy gets up to during our down time. He's definitely a morale booster when he's not being a complete goofball.

Also, I joined Marshall for dinner the other night, and it went better than I hoped it would! Oh my gosh, I didn't realise he was such a good cook! I thought he'd just sneak off with some of the goop we usually eat and plop it on a fancy plate, but he actually made some beautiful food and even smuggled in some wine! New Yorkers huh? He'd put a lot of thought into it, it was really – it was really nice. We had a good casual conversation about a lot of different things. I hadn't felt so relaxed and happy in so long. I also didn't know that the Colonels had their own fancy quarters. Vivi must be happy she gets to spend time with Jaz in her own little suite now that Jaz made the rank. Come to think of it, I haven't been seeing the two of them much lately. I've sort of been in my own little world with the whole Captain promotion and Marshall constantly running through my mind.

Of course, what I wasn't expecting was that he'd tell me what had been troubling him then and there. Alright, so I guess the others were right all along about him having a dark past to hide. I'll admit, it was kind of hard to hear at first, but then I saw something in his eyes: the pain and agony he's been wrestling with ever since he defected to our cause after realizing what he'd done. I can tell he really wants to atone for his past, and to me, that's more important than anything he may have done. Most of all, I appreciated the fact that he told me himself, and that I didn't hear it from Jaz or anyone else because to be honest, they probably would've blown it way out of proportion. It takes a lot of courage to share something he's not proud of like that with someone, and I felt really… special at that moment. I even held his hand (!) and assured him that I'm here for him if he needs someone. He grabbed mine in return (!) and thanked me, followed by that cute smile of his. Hehehe….. Ahh, my face is burning again.

I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone, and I intend on keeping that. I guess it's high time I find a real good hiding spot for these logs now, and from what I've heard from Walker, I need to start shielding my mind from potential intrusions from our Psi-Ops down below. Especially now that Heidi's learned how to 'mind merge'. She's really nice, so I don't expect her to do it, but if Moreau ever picks up that skill… Yikes.

Out.


	8. Logs 50 - 52

Part 50 – Psionic Tracking Data

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 50**

Argh, I felt so helpless! I was not on point this mission, and I mean that literally. I was so eager to break away from my recon duties to try and impress that I didn't end up leading the group as our scout. Instead, I was towards the back, taking shots at enemies that my squad mates were more than capable of handling, and we ended up getting overwhelmed fast. Heck, I didn't even re-conceal once I'd been spotted, or try to hack the ADVENT workstation despite my technical abilities. Apparently, there were some valuable opportunities on the laptop that we could've gotten our hands on if I'd at least tried to reach the computer. I talked Marshall through the intrusion as best I could, but we only had time to complete the main mission objective before we were locked out.

Oh Marshall – I'm so so sorry. If I'd been scouting like you told me to before deployment… If I'd just done my damn job, you probably wouldn't have gotten so hurt. The same goes for Heidi and Maj – sorry, Col. Longfellow as well (congratulations ma'am). But everything just went out the window the moment before we deployed when Marshall pulled me in for that kiss… my heart just melted on the spot, and I couldn't think of much else for the entirety of the mission. I need to be able to focus – to give my full attention to the mission when it matters the most and separate my personal thoughts. That's what soldiers do – what a 'Captain' should be able to do… But even now … it makes me giddy just remembering that moment… ahh my first kiss…

No, snap out of it Priya, you're mad at yourself remember!? You could've been replaced from what the Commander mentioned when it came time to planning this last guerrilla operation! This really isn't how to go about proving my case of keeping my role as the scout… The only silver lining in all this was the fact that I could at least land my shots, something I'd struggled with for a while. Mason's advice on the breathing thing and Marshall's private training lessons really helped out in that regard… The tracer rounds the Commander let me use also allowed for me to ensure my shots were on target.

But after all that, we've now got three people in the AWC and all of them more seasoned, valuable members than I am. Marshall took a light attack from a stun lancer and a rather serious shot from behind full cover. Col. Longfellow and Heidi both ended up getting flanked by those pesky Sidewinders and taking near fatal wounds from their plasma shots. Those things are like mosquitos, darting in and around the AO landing shots on your blind side. Luckily, Col. Longfellow is not only an amazing shot in the field, but a quick tactical thinker. She deployed her frostbite ability on a Sidewinder up close, and she encouraged Heidi to meld with her mind to give her a temporary boost of strength. While there was no need for it at the time, Heidi obliged without question, and for a brief moment, Col. Longfellow looked like a million bucks. She's really done a great job at mentoring the psi operatives, and even taming Moreau. They really respect Col. Longfellow as a leader. They've also been so invaluable out in the field, who knows where we'd be without their Stasis and Domination abilities?

Walker seems to have hit his stride once more now that 'The Incident' is long behind us. He's got a new, more hopeful outlook on life these days from what I can tell. He jokingly told Col. Longfellow to get off his perch when she grappled up. Seems he really wants to win this marksmanship contest. That's probably why he's given up on this mythical 'kubikiri' shot and has returned to his more conventional precision shots. When he mentioned that 'kubikiri' was broken, I assumed it was a hidden setting on his sniper rifle he could switch on and off, but that's not what he was referring to apparently. What is he, a cyborg? I guess that Icarus armor makes him look like one. Still, with the new plasma lance Tygan and Shen developed, he hit the aliens like a truck and dealt out some huge damage. Carter didn't do half bad out there either. In fact, he played a better support than I did, and he's one of our grenadiers. Granted, he's not as boom-happy as Fields is but still…

And now, just as we struggled to come up with the elerium crystals needed to produce more of our plasma weaponry, we received word of a supply raid opportunity. The Commander asked if I wanted to go, but I told him that I needed some personal time – I want to spend a bit more time with Marshall while he recovers and talk about things… about our little moment before deployment, but also because I don't believe I deserve to after that last mission. Heidi gave me a little wink when I turned up at the AWC to see him, and I had to turn away to hide my red cheeks. It's happening now, isn't it? Everyone's going to start teasing me about this…

Out.

* * *

Intermission – Priya and Skadden in the AWC

 **A few hours before Operation Jagged Tears…**

The AWC equipment hummed quietly as Priya sat beside a recovering Marshall Skadden. Andersen and Longfellow had both retreated into the arms of Morpheus once again, sleeping peacefully. Their wounds had been much more severe than Skadden's, slamming the brakes on Heidi's psionic training. Priya frowned at them, her stomach swirling. She hadn't been able to shake off her feelings of guilt just yet. As far as she was concerned, they were in here because of her, though the others had assured her otherwise. Priya decided that next time, she'd try not to play hero.

' _Stick to scouting. That's what they need you for. You can't even aim that good.'_

Checking the time, Priya realised she should probably let Skadden get some rest too. She rose from her seat, only to hear a low whisper beside her.

"I'm so sorry, Priya."

Priya raised her eyebrows, turning to see Skadden bearing a sheepish look. "Hmm? Sorry? For what?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. "That kiss. I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't ha –"

"No, no please don't say that."

"I couldn't help myself was all. It just felt right at the time, but looking back on it, I feel like I might've put you off…"

Priya shook her head, looking into his eyes. "No, that's not true."

He returned a look of disbelief, seeing through her obvious cover up. Priya bit her lip. "Okay, well, maybe it shook me up a little, but that's besides the point."

A smile formed on her face, the memory flooding her mind again as she fell back into her seat. "One thing I've learned since I came here is that any day could be your last, so you'd better live like it is." She wrapped her fingers around his. "And it actually could've been yours… you got real hurt out there, you know? I got scared."

Skadden grinned, almost laughing out of relief, though he stifled it to avoid the pain. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"And don't get me started on your head bashing idea on that terminal. That also terrified me."

"Yeah well, with my hacking skills, it's about all I can do when I'm up against the ADVENT network. How'd you think we got that VIP out of her cell a few missions back?" Priya glared at him, sighing. "I do not wanna know."

"I figured. Anyway, what's up with this Squadwipe guy everyone's been going on about?"

Priya grimaced. "Hmm Squadwipe? Oh, well his real name's Tobias Batch. Squadwipe's just his nickname."

Skadden couldn't hold it in this time, letting out a quiet laugh and paying for it with a sharp sting in his ribs. "I might bang my head against computers Priya, but I don't think I've lost so many brain cells to the point that I'd assume Squadwipe was his real name."

"Sorry," Priya said with a smirk. "Anyway, it's something the Commander gave him when he first came aboard. Not many people even remember what his original call sign was anymore."

"I see. Is everything alright with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, are all his dogs barking? He seems kinda – well, jumpy. Mason even clocked the guy in the face during the New Year's party, and there's the fact that everyone's kinda apprehensive about him going on that supply raid in a few hours."

Priya pondered for a moment, collating her own thoughts regarding the unstable grenadier. "I had a funny feeling about him once. Every time he headed out, things always seemed to go wrong." Her face went dark. "In fact, the last time he went on a mission, we even lost two people."

Skadden sat up a little, his interest piqued. "Huh? What happened, friendly fire?"

"No, not exactly. It's just – well, there've been a few ugly rumors about the guy, like how he's a possible sleeper agent for ADVENT and the like. Apparently, he fragged an entire squad he'd run with before he came here."

"Seriously? How the hell did he get through XCOM's vetting program if that's true?"

Priya shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, I'm sure he'll be okay out there. I don't wanna throw any more fuel on the fire, and _you_ need to get some sleep."

Skadden slumped back down into his bed again. "Alrighty."

Priya rose from her seat once more, then without thinking, leaned forward and planted a kiss on Skadden's lips. It only lasted a second or two, but it felt like minutes to her as she melted into him. Soon after, she pulled back, her cheeks flushed and heart pounding.

Skadden's eyes widened as the moment sank in. "Uh, well, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Priya nodded, beaming. "I – I'll see you tomorrow."

She turned for the door, only to feel a slight headache overtake her brain. As she reached for her forehead, the pit of her stomach dropped as Heidi's voice echoed in her head.

 _"Get a room, you two."_

Yipes!

* * *

Part 51 – Subtle Gatekeeper

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 51**

The moment Batch lost his shit and darted ahead, Jaz sighed with resignation and handed me a twenty. Not that I can exactly spend it at the ADVENT commercial centres, but it's the principle of a bet: that I knew Batch was going to panic and Jaz thought he'd be alright this time. She was wrong, and I was right! Mind you, seeing a bunch of long range missiles plummeting towards me would probably scare the crap outta me too. Then again, that's why I try and keep myself concealed so I can avoid mishaps like that. In any case, I'm relieved that such an unstable man carrying that much explosive ordnance hasn't fumbled and mistakenly detonated some in the presence of other team members. So far anyway.

As expected though, our team handled the supply raid like pros. Well, technically they are pros seeing as they hold some high ranks (exception being Mr. Batch of course). Carmine saw some action again after a bit of bench warming. Ever since we lost the 'Song and Dance' Bolt Caster, she's sort of taken a more behind the scenes approach to the missions by providing support and healing when necessary rather than making clutch shots. I suppose things can get tough when a Specialist loses their specialized weapon. She's still a Brigadier though, and the repertoire of skills she and her GREMLIN bring into battle are invaluable. She also seems to have conceded her little rivalry with Walker. Of course, Mr. Texas Ranger (what can I say, it's kind of a cool name) isn't satisfied that he's proven he's the best soldier on this ship and is eager to confirm it in everyone's eyes the next time he and Longfellow are on a mission together. Longfellow hasn't said anything outright, but I know she's just itching for a chance to one up him just to see the look on his face. I'd pay to see it with this twenty Jaz just gave me.

Arctorus, our latest addition to the team, sliced through the ADVENT supply guards like a hot knife through butter. I haven't mentioned much about him, just because he seems so … off. Like, there's something inhuman about him, and it's not just his name that gives that away. I get a bit anxious every time I see him, and the way he talks … well, just between you and me, he sounds like a murdering psychopath. While I'm all for getting pumped about taking the fight to ADVENT and overthrowing their rule, cackling madly as you spray down lasers and shredding the enemy to literal pieces is something that borders on uncomfortable territory. Nothing against him as a 'person', of course. I suppose he and Moreau would get along quite nicely. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they knew each other already. He seems like the kind of "Experiment" our good "Doctor" would have stitched together in her lab somewhere. Thankfully, that thought is highly unlikely.

Tygan came to see me recently as well, offering me both good and bad news. Bad news was that our progress towards a viable SMG had been set back once more due to a supply shortage. Meh, to be honest, it wasn't that bad. Sure, they'd be nice but I'd kinda given up on them already. The good news was that Marshall had been cleared from the AWC and was back in his quarters! Of course, I went straight away to see him so we could talk about things… about what's going on between us and what it means. Everyone's kinda just assumed we're in a relationship, but nothing was ever made official. We'd just begun to discuss things when the Avenger went on high alert. The Avatar project has just about ticked over once again, and we're now heading for another demolition mission to cancel doomsday.

The Commander called me up to the active roster, along with some of our best. Marshall wanted to join in on the sabotage op, but the Commander saw it fit to have Jaz watch my back instead. I don't disagree. Jaz and I gel together so well when we're down on the ground. If Marshall was out there with me, I'd probably be too busy worrying and thinking about him again like last time. We're at a crucial point in our campaign to stop the Avatar project once and for all, so we can't afford to have anyone taking a hit and sitting out our next couple of operations lined up. That means I need to be focused and on point this time. Tygan and Shen have finally analysed the vial we stole from the Black Site after so many months of sitting on it. They've pinpointed an alien forge that's similar to the Black Site in terms of importance to the Avatar project, and it's where we're heading soon after this. Hopefully nothing goes wrong this time… it only takes one mistake, and now that Marshall's entered my life… I'm not ready to go just yet.

Out.

* * *

Part 52 – A.F.

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 52**

I guess when the chips are down, I really can perform when it counts. Having had time to reflect on my last op, I made it my personal mission to help out in any way I could this time. The Commander had given us all a very specific directive for this operation: come back in one piece. We couldn't afford to have any of the top brass benched in the AWC, especially now that we've discovered this new 'forge' facility somewhere in West Asia. Of course, that only mounted more pressure on us. Even Walker found himself a bit anxious, whiffing a couple of shots. Mind you though, he'd been firing rapidly in what he liked to call 'a kill zone', probably in an attempt to show Longfellow what she'd be up against. Guess it sorta backfired in the end, and now Longfellow has an opportunity to show Walker just how high the bar can be set. On her next deployment, that is.

I felt the pressure too, trying to scout ahead and keep the team informed on the enemy's position at all times so as to avoid any nasty surprises. I even got a chance to launch a blaster bomb and take down multiple units. I thought I was doing quite well until Moreau thought it'd be a good idea to have her latest pet Archon shoot up into the sky like some kind of flare and launch rockets down below. That caught a lot of attention, including a hulking Sectopod nearby. On top of all that, I noticed a MEC Longbow in the distance preparing to launch missiles at us. The others were too far back to do anything, and it all fell on me. Realizing the situation, I kinda just froze. Not good I know.

But then something curious happened. I felt my mind clear, and all my negative thoughts were purged. Time slowed, and I felt myself bursting with confidence. Without a second thought, I ripped out the Shadowkeeper and plugged a shot right into the MEC and sent it crumpling to the ground. Managing to re-conceal, I glanced over my shoulder to see Moreau staring at me, a slight smirk on her face. I figured she had something to do with that. I don't know whether I should feel grateful or violated. We've been at odds with each other for so long… Did she have an ulterior motive for helping me? Or did she genuinely want to help? I never know with her… In either case, I'm wary, but thankful all the same.

Also, it's one thing to see Arctorus go nuts via the live feed, and it's another thing entirely to see it in person. The guy is efficient as all hell, taking down Sectopods all by himself and tearing the enemy's armor to shreds, but he's a total whack job. I know Jaz has referred to us as a sort of 'flying circus', so I guess we've found our trapeze artist and squad clown in Arctorus. He treated the operation like we'd gone to some kind of kiddie carnival, and don't get me started on that bright pink Serpent Suit he's been rocking. Even the Commander thought he was a female with the loud colours and the high-pitched voice as he screamed "WEEEEEE" every time he got to use the grapple. Sheesh, and I've been getting the eyeball for my lack of 'professionalism' with Marshall.

I'm not the only one who has issues with Arctorus though. Heidi also seems to have a problem with him, and even got into a bit of a scuffle in the hangar bay. Apparently she can't read his mind, which is a bit worrying seeing as she can dive into anyone else's at a whim. She had no problem entering mine and telling Marshall and I to get a room after our little chat in the AWC. Eek, these psi operatives… gotta be careful around 'em.

Speaking of that, Marshall and I had a bit of a talk regarding where we stand with each other. We agreed that we may be a bit too much in the presence of others, so we'll try and tone it down when everyone else is around. It's some stinkin' thinkin' , but it's a good point. We're at war and while we may not be official military, we should at least try to act professional until it's all over. Otherwise, when it's just us two, we can be as 'unprofessional' as we like (I liked the way he said that). It's just so hard to keep my composure at all times when I'm with him, because I've never felt this way about anyone before. I never got the chance to experience all this stuff growing up. The alien invasion made sure of that, and my brother and I had been living in resistance camps ever since. Hopefully, once this war is over, I can begin to experience pre-ADVENT life. The kind of life my brother fought and died for. The life we're all fighting for.

I can see myself sharing it with Marshall when all is said and done. He understands me, he cares for me, and he's – well, he's handsome to boot. I know he's worried about his past catching up with him once we've destroyed ADVENT, but I'll stand by his side and defend him (though no doubt a lawyer such as him could do it all on his own). Of course, we don't need to worry about it until we cross that bridge. I've kept my word. I haven't told anyone about his reasons for joining XCOM, and I've made sure to block out any of the psi ops reading my –

Oh shit. Oh no, no, no. Moreau! She entered my mind at the alien facility… does she know!? Shit, shit, shit!

Out.


	9. Logs 53 - 55

Part 53 – A Whole New Level

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 53**

I've got absolutely nothing to say. What's the point of making a log if the fucking psi ops are just gonna pilfer all my thoughts from my mind anyway? Seems pretty god damn senseless, don't you think?

Out.

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 53 (2)**

Okay, attempt number two. * sigh * Things are so screwed up right now. _Really_ screwed up. Could be worse, but that's not the point. Of course Moreau _had_ to acquire that one piece of information about Marshall's secret. Of course she did. Why? How? Because I "let my thoughts run roughshod through my head whenever they damn please" apparently.

 **SORRY!**

Sorry I expect the common courtesy of not having my brain probed by a fucking sociopath any time it's convenient for her. Forgive my insolence and naivety! My freakin' God, get off your damn high horse already Moreau. I get it, you're psionic. We can't keep secrets from you. Whoop-dee-fucking-do, you can read minds and put people in stasis. That doesn't give you a free pass to do whatever you like with your powers, especially on people who are supposed to be on your side. She didn't even give Marshall a chance to tell his story to Central after she found out, something anyone else aboard this ship would've done. No, she dashed straight for the Bridge like a little bitch because she saw the opportunity to screw with me! It's pretty damn clear that XCOM's reputation wasn't her main motivator here. Seriously. We're getting closer and closer to blowing this whole Avatar project wide open, and suddenly all she cares about is fucking PR!? What, does she want to run for President after this is all over? Since when did she care so damn much about our rep? ADVENT have already vilified us as a terrorist organisation, and Shen said it herself, their message is louder than ours. And guess what? We're still finding recruits. In fact, the Commander's considering recruiting two more people to our cause. We're literally running out of sleeping space.

Hell, when all is said and done, you could say half this team could be crucified for their past deeds once this war is over. Tygan, Carter, Marshall, might as well throw Arctorus in there too. But you know what? All of us have fought hard for the future of humanity. Fought hard to reclaim our freedom that we surrendered to the ADVENT coalition. In fact, those who have dark pasts have probably fought harder than the rest of us, and I wouldn't be surprised if that helps us in terms of image. When they see people who've flipped sides from ADVENT to XCOM and see them working to redeem themselves, wouldn't that encourage others working within ADVENT who know they're in the wrong to jump ship too? If they see people trying to atone for their past actions, wouldn't they take comfort in knowing that they could atone for theirs as well? Lord knows this isn't an easy job. Actually, Central should know, this whole entire thing failed twenty years ago, so the least everyone else can do is cut us some **friggin' slack!**

Right. Rant over. For now. I don't want to spend another second thinking about that stupid witch. Like I said, things could be so much worse. Central's opted to keep Marshall's past under wraps, and his punishment has been suspended for the moment, at least until we can resolve this crisis with the Avatar project once and for all. That's not to say that he didn't have to buy his freedom. Apparently, he had to exchange it for something, and now that's got me seriously worried. I didn't have the words… Marshall and I had such a beautiful moment together outside before this all exploded… and I had to go screw it all up. I feel so guilty. I don't know how he managed to forgive me, but again… that's just another reason why he's special. He asked me to stay with him for the night after this latest mission… I didn't hesitate to say yes. If we're going to have limited time together now because of all this, then I want to spend as much of it as possible with him. He said he wanted to be together with me after this is all over, and there's nothing I want more than that. But now after all this... I don't know what's going to happen... I've never felt so happy then so crushed...

He's just come back from the latest guerrilla op along with the others. He did quite well considering what's happened, but he did suffer minor wounds. Our nights together will have to be restricted to the AWC for the moment. The whole operation was strange. I'm not sure what the heck ADVENT are up to, but it seems like their R&D division is grasping for any kind of straws that'll give them the advantage over us. Today, we got the pleasure of witnessing invisible floors. That or hovering alien units. The team on the ground thought it was some kind of hallucinogenic gas deployed in the AO (Heidi even volunteered a UFO theory), until we confirmed via the live feed that nope, they were in fact floating in the air. Tygan's currently indisposed with sensitive research in the Shadow Chamber, but I'm sure he'll have a keen interest in this latest ADVENT development once he's free.

Other than the floating enemies, the operation was another run of the mill get in, grab the goods and kill everything. Walker's managed to break the century mark in terms of kills (can't wait to hear all about it, I'm sure) and Vivi managed to see some action after a long time on the bench. Heidi … she wasn't able to dominate one of the Archons and – sorry, it's just hard to separate her from … Moreau right now after everything that's happened. She's nice, and I know I can rely on her both on the battlefield and as a friend, but after this whole psionic episode… I might avoid her for a little while until I cool off. I'm so done with psionics.

Out.

* * *

Part 54 – Rooftops

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 54**

The Commander's been busy these past few days, searching far and wide for a full time addition to our squad. Nope, not this Ranger we're about to head off and find. He's hunting for a Great Archon who may be willing to turn on his overlords and join up with XCOM. Unfortunately (not really), Central has advised the Commander against this, much to his and Walker's disappointment. "The last thing we need is another liability like Batch" is the official reason Central had spouted. Ouch. Still, I'm sure our psi ops (ugh) are more than capable of finding suitable XCOM candidates in the field that can temporarily assist in the operation by way of mind domination. That power is so scary… I've seen first-hand what the psi ops can do. It makes my skin crawl knowing that they could mind control me at any time…

I've noticed that Mason's been slamming down drinks at the bar more often than not lately. Our newest recruits, part of Sarah Haussman's old paratrooper squad definitely came to play. Nightingale even obliterated one of the Archons from a distance, despite the fact that it looked to be a low percentage shot. I feel sorry for Mason, but maybe early retirement would be best for him. He's seen a lot of action, he deserves some peace. Then again, for an old war dog like him, I'm sure the only thing he knows is killing aliens. I don't know if he can even lead a normal life once this war is over. Still, he's got his siblings out there somewhere. Hopefully he doesn't drink himself to death before he gets to see them again. Maybe I should talk to him and tell him that family's everything, and he should make plans to go and see them. I wish I had family to find after all this… Actually, no, I've got Jaz and Vivi! But I don't know if I'll still have Marshall…

Arctorus is still being his usual, psycho self. The thought of a maniac like him wielding a beam cannon and spraying plasma all over the place terrifies me, so I can't imagine what the aliens feel when they see him in a pink serpent suit cackling like a madman before almost solely ripping their Gatekeepers and Hive Queens to shreds. It's almost as if he thinks he's in a Grand Odd game or something. He's definitely not human, I can tell you that much. Maybe that's why Heidi had trouble getting into his head. Hmph, wish I wasn't human then, maybe I'd have a better handle on my mental defences. Longfellow put up a great showing out there too, and some say Walker's starting to sweat a little. A chalkboard has been set up in the GTS, along with two jars. I chucked the twenty Jaz gave me from the Squadwipe bet into Longfellow's jar. I don't know when the cut-off date for the contest is, but I suppose it's something to keep morale up for now, especially with all the crap that's been going on around here lately.

Marshall's still having a bit of trouble out there in the field… I really don't blame him considering that Moreau had joined them on this mission. He's had a lot on his mind these past couple of days. First the whole Jack Rivers thing… Central said he'd keep it under wraps, but of course, things are starting to leak out anyway. Walker and Carmine know he's been in trouble, and I think Fields may know a little about what happened. Thankfully, unlike some people, he doesn't try and stir up a shit storm. Then there's that project he's been looking into. I can't remember exactly what it was called… but it's definitely important to him. Next time we're in the Big Apple, we're gonna see what we can find out. He needs to know that he doesn't have to do any of this alone anymore… He's got me. I know I'm probably not the most qualified person to help him out (he can handle himself real well when he's focused, and I can barely aim beyond ten feet with these rifles), but I just want to be there for him… to make up for my mistake that's potentially cost him everything.

I know he also had a bit of a "confrontation" with Moreau down in the Psi Lab. I asked him about it, but he assured me nothing happened. Hmm. I understand his hesitation to tell me anything after my last slip-up, especially since I have yet to grasp his technique of shutting out psionic mind invasions. I could always hack into his logs and see if anything comes up, but that would make me no better than that stupid daayan (witch). I can only hope that he opens up to me, especially because he seemed even more troubled than usual when he came back… I'll see if he's ready to tell me after I come back from this latest op. The Commander's assigned me a rifle, but promised that he'd get an SMG into my hands soon. Thanks Commander.

Out.

* * *

Part 55 – Return of the Drommy's

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 55**

We'd been sent on a mission to recover something from a secure chest in exchange for another Ranger to join our ranks (RIP Mason once he heard the news). I had a strange but funny thought that once we hacked open that chest, this guy would leap out like a jack in the box. Of course, this wasn't the case. Instead, he'd been hiding out nearby, studying the way XCOM operated as a sort of audition before he made up his mind to join us. Gee thanks for the assist… oh and shock and horror! He's another soldier that's insane in the membrane, and happens to carry a Colonel rank. Great. I wonder if Shen can fabricate some strait jackets for us, just in case these lunatics start to run the asylum.

We ran the operation quite well, which is a testament to our cohesion despite all the recent dramas. We've reached a point of stability again after having a tumultuous couple of months back in September/October. Mind you, some of us have been under this command for over a year now. I hadn't realised I'd been with XCOM this long, and yet I feel we haven't made much progress in terms of stopping the Avatar project. Of course, that's changed lately with our discoveries of two critical points of interest relating to the Avatar project: the Codex brain co-ordinates and that ADVENT forge facility. Who knows what we'll find at any of these places… but I have a feeling that the moment we hit one of these sites, we'll start a chain reaction of events that'll swiftly end the Avatar project once and for all.

Jaz had to be my usual heroine out there. First, she took a swipe at an Archon flying towards me and the others, stunning it in the process thanks to her arc blade. Then a few moments later, she ended up attracting a Gatekeeper's attention as it bound through a building looking for us. It channelled one of those huge psionic energy balls and probably would've launched it at Kerrigan (hasn't lost her touch) and myself if it wanted to inflict maximum damage. Instead, Jaz had to flip it off and yell out that it was nothing but a floating golf ball harbouring a jellyfish. It didn't take too kindly to her comments and she ended up catching the blast all by herself. Gosh, she's just as crazy as these other people we've been picking up… but she's _my_ crazy "sister". At least she doesn't go around tearing limbs off for shits and giggles.

Carter's been having a bit of trouble with his aim recently, which isn't like him at all. He's quite the marksman for someone who specialises with grenades. Instead, he managed to pop off a few grazing shots thanks to his rifle stock. Walker picked up two more kills, earning two points on the chalkboard back at the GTS. I find it admirable, though a bit puzzling that he's been taking opening shots on the enemy rather than acting as the mop-up man. He's so keen to make Brigadier along with Carmine, and he also wants to rack up his kill count for the Longfellow contest. Instead, he's been setting everyone else up for the kills. Hmm… I remember that Jaz found some dogtags relating to someone close to him back in his Shadow squad days after a sparring sesh. Is this the friend he talked to me about earlier when I'd entered 'give up' mode after Weger died? I wonder… I guess when he's not dressing up like a clown before mission deployment; he's got a serious side to him.

And of course, how could I forget… the feeling of having a psi-op invade your brain. Except this time, I allowed it. Heidi made absolutely sure I was comfortable with letting her protect me with her mind merge ability before she used her powers. I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I let her in. I had nothing left to hide, and I trust Heidi infinitely more than Moreau. She combed through my thoughts while she was inside, which was unavoidable, and of course, it had to be my most vivid memory. My brother being dragged away by Mutons, screaming out my name thinking I was dead as I bled out on the ground, unable to do anything… it rushed to the forefront of my mind. My mind burst with rage at the recollection of it, and the pumping adrenaline gave me a temporary boost of strength and resilience. After Heidi withdrew from my mind, I squirmed and felt my heart ready to explode. All the agony, the pain, the whirlpool of emotions... it seemed so real, like I'd been right there again. It's still stuck with me now. I realised I never told Marshall exactly what happened with Ali, only that he's long since passed. I should probably tell him… I feel like I need to grieve all over again.

Marshall did have a bit of a brawl at the bar after I encouraged him to tell Mason what he'd done in an effort to recruit him for a side operation. Of course these men had to settle it by way of physical violence. I couldn't help but smirk when Marshall claimed that Mason punched like a girl, but still, I know you're better than this Marshall! It was nice to see Mason's eyes light up at the opportunity of getting some action though. He also warned against causing any more trouble on the ship. Apparently, things are going to change around here now that we've got so many soldiers aboard this ship. I don't know the specifics, but Walker and Carmine, the two seniors might have an idea… I'm all for a bit of freakin' discipline around here to be honest. It's about damn time.

Out.


	10. Logs 56 - 57

Intermission – Priya Signing Walker's Proposal (Part 55 by GalacticCoach)  


Priya's eyes ran over the details. A lot of work seemed to have gone into it.

"You actually wrote this?" she asked, going over the clause 'psions must refrain from engaging in psionic activity among XCOM operatives whilst aboard the Avenger, unless there are extenuating circumstances.' "I'm impressed."

Walker rolled his eyes. "I'm not just a pretty face, you know? I don't need a law degree like your boyfriend to come up with some obvious rules that we need to set in place."

Priya nodded with a slight grin. "If this'll keep that stupid witch in check down in the Psi Lab, you bet I'm in. Got a pen?"

A minute later, Priya printed her name on the form and handed it back to Walker. "Thanks Mr. Texas Ranger."

Walker snorted. "Nah, thank you. Just need to get a couple more names on here."

"Just one other idea though," Priya said, reaching for the paper.

"What's that?"

She pretended to scan the petition one more time. "You should add a line here; 'operatives should refrain from dressing like clowns when reporting to the Hangar Bay for deployment.'

And with a huff, Walker snatched the paper back and walked off.

* * *

Intermission – Priya's Mind Merge Request (Part 55 by David Tarnawski)  


 _Moments later_

"Hey Heidi."

Heidi turned to see Priya standing beyond her containment unit, staring at her feet with her hands dipped in her pockets.

"Priya... I - what brings you down here?" Discreetly, Heidi tucked the photo away. "Moreau's not here if that's who you're looking -"

"No," Priya said, recoiling at the mention of Moreau's name before shaking her head. "I - I came to see you."

Heidi frowned, crossing her arms. "This is about that mind merge, isn't it?"

Priya nodded. "I'm sorry Priya... I couldn't help but see ... you've been bottling it up inside for so long, it basically overrode everything else on your mind."

"It's okay. I just - well, since you saw first hand what happened to me, I figured you'd understand the most now of anyone aboard this ship. I just - I feel like I need to talk to someone about it, and well, Jaz is stuck in the AWC again and Marshall's working on something else."

Heidi shrugged. "Uh, Priya, you know I'm probably not the best person to listen to all this stuff."

Priya shook her head again. "Sorry, I guess what I mean to say is - I want you to help me remember. Please?"

"... what?"

"Most of what happened the last time I ever saw my brother, I've shut out from my mind. I can barely remember what happened that day. Something to do with the trauma I guess. I need you to re-enter -"

"Whoa, whoa, okay let me stop you right there."

Priya raised her eyebrows, sadness in her eyes.

"Look, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't exactly want to go through that again. What you see, I see... what you hear, I hear... and what you feel, I feel, right? And... well, I could feel the anguish and pain dialed up to eleven when I entered your mind that day. There's no way I'm gonna do that again, and there's no way I want to put _you_ through that again, understand?"

Priya sighed, feeling slightly defeated. "I understand. Sorry, I made a mistake coming here. Thanks for hearing me out anyway."

She turned to trot off out the door when Heidi's curiosity got the better of her.

"Hey, Priya? Just one last thing... did you see any of _my_ thoughts when I merged with you?"

Priya thought for a moment, turning back. "No, I was kinda overwhelmed by my own. Why?"

Heidi mentally sighed with relief before shaking her head. "Nothing. Just was curious... take care of yourself, alright?"

* * *

Part 56 – Actual Retaliation

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 56**

Welp, things went from bad to worse real quick just recently. We lost one of the crazies, almost lost the other one, and we nearly had a civil war on our hands. I'm glad I've been keeping these logs because my brain's starting to have a hard time keeping track of everything and the last thing I wanna do is lash out at someone because I've kept it all bottled inside.

Anyway, let's start with everything that happened before this latest nuclear fustercluck. Marshall knew that my latest flashbacks of the day my brother had been taken away were eating me up inside. I wanted to tell him… I tried to tell him, but I realised I could barely remember what happened myself. So I decided to pay Heidi a visit in the Psi Lab and ask for a favour. Of course, she refused my request to re-enter my mind and bring it all to the surface. I don't know why I thought otherwise seeing as she'd had a tough time taking in my emotions when we first merged minds. Plus, I did kinda realise it was a bit rude of me to try and use her abilities like that. She's not some tool or guinea pig me or anyone else should use whenever they feel like it.

She did ask me if any of her memories had made their way into my mind though. I told her no, but now that I think about it, I have been having some weird dreams lately. Something about a boy… or is it a man? It's all so hazy, it's hard to tell, but it's nothing I remember experiencing.

Then we've got Walker's proposal for order aboard the Avenger. He came up to me asking if I wanted to support it. Considering what's been going on with the mind reading, that mini scuffle Heidi had with Arctorus (will get to that crazy son of a bitch in a second), and lord knows what else, I thought it seemed a no-brainer. Turns out, a couple of people aren't quite pleased with the idea. Jaz is one of them. I don't know what she told Walker specifically, but I figured it might irk her a bit. She's always had a problem with authority (came from her restrictive parents, she'd told me) and she enjoys having the freedom of doing whatever she wants. I mean, who else would wear that ridiculous outfit during our early days with XCOM? She probably saw this petition thing as Walker throwing his weight around now that he's almost Brigadier. I have to go talk to Jaz about it before they go on the next mission together and bungle the whole op.

Me? I think Walker's got our best interests at heart. He's been a soldier longer than most of us have (Mason being the exception). He knows what he's doing. We need people to be held accountable for their actions. People shouldn't have free rein to do whatever they please (like probing people's minds without permission). Besides, this proposal would mean that we have to look out for one another. And if Marshall has to answer for everything he's done in the past, why shouldn't everyone else?

Anyway, as if we weren't already a powder keg ready to explode, this latest retaliation by ADVENT did little to help. It was a major Chryssalid infestation out there and they hit us hard. Arctorus didn't make it… I'll admit, the guy scared the crap out of me and made me really uncomfortable when I was around him, but he was a force to be reckoned with and I was glad he was on our side. We've lost a lot of firepower now that he's gone. What's really crazy though is that some people actually view his death as something that's not a great loss. I know Fields mentioned that it's possibly for the better that he's finally at peace. Well, seeing that ridiculous purple suit and that maniacal laugh that had been preserved on Arctorus' face explode into a couple of baby Chryssalids certainly didn't look very peaceful to me. I nearly vomited on the spot. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the kind of dramatic way he would've wanted to go... Rest in Peace you loon... you deserved better.

Moreau almost bit the dust too, though of course her powerful psionic abilities kept her from departing our world. I'm tempted to say that I wish she had… but deep down, I know that it's not right to feel it. Hmph, you know what? If Fields can feel that way about Arctorus, then maybe I will embrace this feeling of disappointment that she didn't get herself killed. Maybe I should take my twenty out of the Longfellow/Walker bet because I'd pay to see her body explode into a couple of Chryssalids. * sigh * I'm beginning to go insane. Get a grip, Priya… You're better than this. Don't stoop to her level.

We've hired another soldier from the Black Market (an expert marksman that's good with a pistol) and we almost hired another rogue from HQ. Thankfully, the Commander seems to be finally putting his foot down with the resistance and wants soldiers that are actually mentally stable. His exact words upon seeing the rogue's profile were 'what the fuck?' followed by another quarter chucked into the swear jar he'd just set up prior to the retaliation. Guess I'm still the designated scout for now. We all waited to see Mason's reaction to the new recruit, but he scowled and told us that he'd gotten over the idea of recruiting high ranking soldiers months ago. Well that's a relief.

Marshall and I haven't been seeing each other too much lately. I hope to change that soon. I hope we head out to the mountains again... just us two. As we've recently been reminded, anyone can die at any time… and I don't want to have any regrets should the worst come to worst.

Out.

* * *

Intermission – Priya Helping Walker (Part 55 by GalacticCoach)  


 _Continuing on from Walker's entry last episode prior to Operation Bone Fort..._

Carmine put her head in her hands. "This has gotten messy."

Walker rolled his eyes. "It has always been messy, this has just brought it to light."

"What's messy?"

Walker spun around. Priya stood at the doorway where Jasmine had been minutes prior, looking curious.

"What d'you want?" Walker growled, nodding at the document. "Come to scratch your name off?"

Priya recoiled at the hostile tone. "Whoa, why're you chewing me out for?"

"Because I just had a lovely chat with that 'sister' of yours." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "She had a couple of sweet words for me… even compared me to Moreau, which I found especially charming coming from her."

Priya raised an eyebrow before glancing over her shoulder. "Oh gosh, what's happened? She kinda just brushed past me in the hall."

"She doesn't support Walker's little initiative that he's come up with," Carmine said as Walker's jaw twitched.

"Oh."

Walker took a deep breath, doing his best to keep his cool. "So, you're not gonna side with team Jasmine on this one? Not gonna take a shit all over this proposal, which I worked really hard on by the way, and call it some secret police crap?"

"… No?"

He glared at Priya, giving her an incredulous look basically saying 'really?' She crossed her arms, frowning.

"Just because Jaz and I are close, doesn't mean I copy everything she does or thinks. I have a mind of my own, you know? I actually came here to check if you'd gotten anyone else on board, but from the looks on your faces, I'm guessing it's not looking good?"

Carmine sighed. "Not really, no."

Priya paused, recalling the lines of text she'd gone over when Walker had presented the document to her. It _had_ been a little vague in certain places with regards to how everyone would be treated.

"Maybe it's the way you're going about presenting this to everyone?"

"What?"

"Well, from what I gathered, it wasn't about setting up some kind of secret police. It was more along the lines of holding people accountable if they ever step out of line."

Walker raised his arms in frustration. "Exactly! So I dunno what Jasmine's problem is or why she's so uptight about this. I'm not saying we should profile everyone and lock up those we consider to be deviants. Hell, half the people on this team are fucking nuts. What I'm saying is that if people step out of line, they face an appropriate consequence for their actions. If they behave themselves, then we're all good. And it goes for all of us, even me. This whole thing's supposed to be enforced by Central and the Commander, and it's supposed to keep us united by stopping all this infighting that's been going on."

"Which, by the way, seems to have only gone up thanks to this," Carmine said, chiming in. Walker shot her a dagger.

"Well, if people are misinterpreting what you've been trying to communicate, maybe you should get a second opinion on what you wrote?" Priya suggested. "Someone who knows a thing or two about policy?"

"You're not talking about Skadden, are you?" Walker asked, grimacing.

Priya could sense the hesitation in his voice. "I thought you said this wasn't about profiling? He's a good man with a past, that's it."

"Of course you'd say that…"

"Do you want this resolved or not!?"

Walker bit his lip, exchanging looks with Carmine. He forgot how sassy the young rogue could get.

Priya continued. "Up to you if you want his help. I'm sure he'd have a few ideas to help make this petition of yours easier for the others to swallow. In the meantime, I'm gonna see Jaz and hopefully get her to calm down a bit. Last thing I want is more fighting, especially with you two. There's too much bullshit going on aboard this ship already… Basically the main reason I signed your damn petition."

She turned to walk out the door. "Think about it, okay? I'll handle Jasmine."

* * *

Part 57 – Deadwood

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 57**

Ow ow ow ow ow! They stuck some science in me! It really, really hurts! Wooooh, the morphine is wearing off a tiny bit, but I think I'm still a bit haaaaaazy! Craaaazy! Hehe!

The spotlight's been on me lately, but I don't know why. The Commander had Tygan and Shen try and cobble together a plasma SMG for me to use, except no elerium crystals means that this 'scramgun' is nothing but a glorified nerf gun. If I close my eyes though, I can make the plasma sounds and it feels like I'm shooting it! Pew pew! Fields had to grab it off me though before I accidentally blew a hole in someone somehow. * sigh * Can't a girl have a little fun around here, especially after the last few weeks? I mean, I helped avoid a clash of the titans with Walker and Jaz! That would've been so cool to watch, but no, it wouldn't have been right! I don't like to see my friends fight. Heh, that rhymed! Seriously though, Priya no likey.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I was due this PCS module or if the Commander felt like he owed me one, but Shen and Tygan implanted it in, and now I'm fast! Super-fast psssssh! I've been running up and down the stairs all afternoon, and smacked into Central again. This time, he'd been holding a donut instead of his coffee. He couldn't save it in time, probably because I accidentally caught it with my mouth. I haven't seen him so mad since Shen questioned his piloting skills. He's confined me to my quarters until I can sort out my behaviour. Lucky Walker hasn't put forward that proposal yet, yikes! Better get it all out of my system while I can then!

My antics have been making a few of the crew annoyed I think, but some find it amusing! Well, it's only temporary people until these painkillers wear off. I noticed that Aruth guy, or whatever his name is lingering in the shadows, watching us. Creepy. He wanted to join us on Marshall's side op in NYC, but Marshall shot him down. Burn! He's strange, he reminds me of Arctorus if he'd never given birth to those Chryssalids. Oh my gosh, what if he's one of them? Wait, that doesn't make sense. He has three limbs, not six.

Marshall's been trying to get me to settle down, but it's no use! I feel so alive! And fast! He lent me his tablet so I could play his games, but he had to snatch it back when I asked him if he wanted to hack the ADVENT network tower for a laugh. He gave me a bottle of water and kissed me good night. It felt so magical… But shh… he doesn't know I'm still awake! He promised that we'd share some more moments together after this war was over, including a trip to the mountains! Oh gosh, I cannot wait for that to happen. Just being around him makes me feel like the luckiest girl. But I know he's just saying that… I know he's worried about what's going to happen to him once this war is over and he has to face the music with regards to the whole Jack Rivers thing… I don't want him to go. I don't want him to leave me. I don't want anyone else to leave me. I've lost too much…

* knock knock * _Bahan, don't think I can't hear you in there! You need to get some sleep!_

Uh oh, the fun police is here.

Out.

* * *

After receiving another mild scolding from Jasmine, Priya resigned herself to the bed and closed her eyes.

"Good night, bahan, you crazy monkey," Jasmine said with a grin, switching off the lights and closing the door.

Still loopy, Priya smiled to herself at the word bahan and snuggled against her pillow. "… good night Ali …"


	11. Logs 58 - 60

Part 58 – Facility #33827332

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 58**

I am the fastest woman alive!

… Not really. Probably not actually, but I definitely feel like I'm quicker on my feet! Now imagine if I had a gun that wasn't so bulky. Then I'd really be a speedster!

But ugh, call it a hangover from hell… I woke up the day after they'd stuck that PCS chip in me and my head throbbed like crazy. I thought it was about to burst open, but not because of the drugs they'd given me (way too much by the way, Tygan). No, it felt similar to that of psionic activity. At first, I thought Moreau had been trying to pry something else out of my head for whatever reason, but she's been cooped up in the AWC these past few days. Then I realised that I'd experienced this same feeling when Heidi first came aboard and she kept giving everyone headaches whenever we were near her. For someone who's quite advanced now with her psionic training and given the fact that these headaches she'd been giving people had stopped a while ago now, I had to assume it was related to the mind merge between us a few operations back.

It's hard to explain, but I think there's a residual connection between our minds, like a tiny spark still flickering. I asked Col. Longfellow about it and she said she'd encountered the same problem when she'd had her mind merged. Thankfully, she gave me the news that the connection will eventually degrade to the point where our minds are separated once more. She also said that because the connection between our minds is now nearly non-existent, the only way it'd flare up is if Heidi or I recall a very vivid or traumatic memory engrained in our brains. Me being in a semi-lucid state with the morphine may have also contributed as well. Now, things were starting to make sense. That random dream I'd been having lately… I was right that it wasn't my own, but Heidi's. She must've been recalling it recently. The feelings she'd experienced from this memory… they were really, really strong. Again, it's hard to explain, but if I had to put it into words, I felt things like betrayal… dread… loss. Weird, I know. I'm not sure what happened exactly (it was like watching a silent, monochrome film with black spots and shadows everywhere), and frankly I'm too afraid to confront her about it. Last time I engaged with a psionic, it didn't end so well for me, so lesson learned there. I'll keep it to myself for now. Spreading rumors or false assumptions is only going to make things worse. Especially when those dark feelings arose when I (or she, I guess) laid eyes on two words that I'll never forget thanks to my brother's service with the original XCOM team.

"Vigilo Confido."

Anyway, enough about that… let's talk about some of the weirder stuff that's been going on (because I love talking about our insane team we've put together!) This Aruth guy is really starting to make me nervous. I can see he likes sharp things. A lot. I could also see the disappointment in his eyes when Haussman had been picked for the roster instead of him. Disappointment as in, "damn, no arms or legs getting ripped off tonight, shucks." Ever since Marshall turned down his offer for the NYC job, he's seemingly caught a fascination with him, even bumping into him which I'm sure was on purpose. Marshall's assured me that he can handle him if he tries anything, but I'm worried anyway. Maybe it's time for me to watch this watcher. I'm a rogue after all, he won't even know I'm shadowing him. And now that I'm light on my feet thanks to this PCS chip, I should hopefully be able to run circles around him if I get made. It's time I start taking a proactive approach to protecting the people I care about instead of having Marshall or Jaz fight my battles for me, or trusting that they can look after themselves.

Aruth isn't the only suspicious character aboard the Avenger now though. This new assassin guy we've recruited from the Black Market seems to have taken an interest in me. He congratulated us on a job well done, and complimented me personally on my stealthy approach to the operation. Well, it wasn't entirely true seeing as I blasted a gaping hole in a rooftop of one of the buildings (so subtle). Anyway, he's said he's looking forward to getting to know me over the next while. It didn't sound very friendly… In fact, it sounded like he was talking business. Yeah, finding a recruit from the Black Market probably wasn't the best idea after all, Commander. Now imagine if we'd hired that rogue Resistance HQ had dug up…

We've struck another hard blow to the alien's progress on the Avatar project. It's only a matter of time until we find a facility that's critical to their operations and will advance our campaign to permanently retire this doomsday project. We've had two of these locations identified for quite a while now… but it's all at the discretion of the Commander. I expect when the time comes for these critical ops, I won't be needed any more seeing as the Commander will need the best of the best, and well, I'm just a lowly Captain with an attitude. Still, I've got to help Marshall out with his mission, and if I am needed by the Commander, you bet I'll be down in the field, ready to fight.

Out.

* * *

Part 59 – La Rescue

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 59**

Oh my gosh, it's happening!

Not the SMG order Tygan and I put in, no. We're gonna be heading to one of the co-ordinates we uncovered after our study of the Blacksite vial we recovered nearly a year ago. I'm not sure if this operation will put a stop to the Avatar project permanently, but I feel that we'll achieve more out of it than our standard facility sabotage. I gotta say that I'm honored that the Commander has picked me for this operation. From the intel produced by our Shadow Chamber, it's gonna be a doozy, but I'll be damned if I screw this up now. The Commander's given me tracer rounds and a superior stock to help me out in the absence of a lighter weapon. I've also been assigned the Serpent suit for the first time. I'm no adrenaline junkie like Jaz so this grapple thing might take a bit of getting used to, but I can make this work. I have to. There are others aboard this ship who'd kill for an opportunity to head out, and I can't let them down. I won't.

Take Mason for example. He finally got to see some action after a long while, but the poor bastard had to pull out of the AO early on after taking a nasty slash from a Chryssalid soldier. None of the team members on the ground had the equipment to dispatch the poison he'd sustained, hence his early evac. That only made him more frustrated. I thought I'd smuggle a whiskey or two into the AWC for him, which he appreciated. I told him that it wasn't his fault he had to evac. He simply smiled and said it's time for a new generation of soldiers to carry humanity through the next few months, patting me on the head.

"Just remember all those training sessions we had, and you'll do fine kid," is what he said. I leaned in to give him a hug of appreciation, only for him to roar out in pain. Oops. It made me stumble backward, and who did I have to bump into? Moreau is who. She'd been checking out of the AWC after recovering from her own Chryssalid injuries. We had a brief stare down, but she walked off without a word. Good. I gave her the finger when she wasn't looking though. I hope she sensed it with her psi powers. At least Mason chuckled. Guess our attitude is something we have in common. "Never change, Priya," he said before he dozed off. You know I won't, Mike.

Someone who has changed though? Brig. Walker. I've seen a new side to him now that he's made the highest rank on offer at long last. I'm super proud of him, especially after he told us about his history with Terrence and the Shadow squad. It's like I finally understand how he became who he is. Just like me – just like the rest of us, he's been fire-forged by the war against the aliens. He'll make a great leader alongside Carmine. He just needs to have confidence in himself, something that may have been shaken with the brief conflict he had with Jaz. But we need him and Carmine now more than ever. Things are starting to get out of hand with these new recruits we've been picking up. Thankfully, this latest one we've picked up seems to be somewhat normal for a change. He's not in the professional assassin trade, and he's not someone who'd probably main event at a county freakshow.

This Aruth guy though. He hasn't been doing much from what I could tell. Maybe he's lying low? Or he knows he's drawn some attention? Who knows, but I'm not gonna give up that easy. He's up to something, I just know it! I wish Marshall would take him more seriously… especially after that cut on his back that I spotted. He assured me that it was nothing, but I'm really nervous. If he's not going to worry about Aruth, then I will. I – I'll take matters into my own hands if I have to. If Aruth tries anything, and I mean anything that puts Marshall in danger, I'll rip that metal arm of his off myself. Gotta be careful though. Seems like something that assassin Karasuma would love for me to demonstrate. Too bad for him, I won't be passing my resume on any time soon. It's scary that I've gotten like this after having relied on other people to take care of me for so long. I suppose I had to grow up sometime. Besides, having Ali's dogtags … it's like he's still watching over me.

Heidi's gotten a bit suspicious of me lately. Uh oh. Maybe I shouldn't have gone to Col. Longfellow for help, considering she mentors Heidi and that other witch. It's strange, I feel like we're tip-toeing around this memory of hers for some reason. If I've caught her attention because of it though, then it must be important. Tell you what, after this mission, if – when we make it back, I'll work up the nerve to ask her about it. I just hope she doesn't stick me in a 'void rift' or whatever she just learned down in that God-forsaken lab. Surely it can't be that bad, right?

Anyway, it's nearly time to head out. Marshall gave me another kiss for good luck when the Commander told him that Jaz would be taking his place. It still makes me go all gooey, but this time, I'll use it instead of letting it affect me out in the field. Who knows what Jaz and I are gonna find at this 'forge', but it's about time we woke this campaign back up, and put the Avatar project to sleep once and for all.

Out.

* * *

Part 60 – The Suit

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 60**

I can't believe I was excited to go on this mission when I'd first been selected. What we found at this 'forge' facility is next level nuts. It wasn't the cold winter snow that gave me goosebumps … it was finding out the fact that they're "manufacturing" ADVENT soldiers. My God, no wonder it feels like we've made zero progress against the ADVENT coalition. Imagine… they'd have never stopped coming if we hadn't moved on this facility. On the more positive side though, at least we haven't been gunning down misguided human volunteers, just test tube alien babies. I guess that makes it easier for me to sleep at night now that I can confirm all 23 of my kills so far were pure aliens. 23 kills… I know it's not nearly as much as some of the others, but I – I was never meant for all this! I'm not a trained killer, or soldier, or assassin… all I ever wanted to be was an artist… argh, I can't believe this is all only catching up to me now. Untreated PTSD? No wonder my attitude on the field is flaring up again.

It didn't help that the Commander was on my case for almost the entire operation. He mimicked my voice again as per usual (he gets snappy sometimes too you know, and you don't see me mocking him!) and didn't even consider me a 'regular person' when our squad tried to take down that lone Sectoid Commander. It reminded me of when I waited to be picked for a team when we used to play soccer out in the resistance camp, only for everyone to completely forget I even existed. This time, I had my Shadowkeeper at the ready to obliterate this bird-brained sectoid, but the Commander insisted that Heidi exorcise the little demon instead with her Soulfire ability. * sigh * That hurt. Being forgotten, that is, but I'm sure Heidi's psionic wrath was just as painful.

Then, while everyone else got to see action on our way out, I was stuck lugging around this – suit thing. I know, I know, it was important, and since I'm the quickest, it made sense for me to carry him, or her, or whatever the heck it was. It weighed a ton though, and climbing up that cliff side took all my strength and focus (no way I was gonna experiment with the grappling hook at that point). Next time, maybe Firebrand can move the evac zone closer? Or at least make it so I don't have to rock climb with a limp body on my shoulder. Jaz suggested that I do some deadlifts to get into shape with that cheeky tone of hers. Joke's on you sis, I don't even know what a deadlift is…

Walker took the lead for the op, and by lead, I mean he swept the area and killed probably the most enemies out of all of us. I wish he'd have given us lower rankers a chance to 'improve our aim', which is something he likes to call out now and then, but he's a Brigadier now, so he leads, and we follow. In any case, everyone did really good. Jaz ended up getting dragged towards a Viper, which saved her from having to throw the axe at it. Carter proved that his aim is still top notch, and Heidi snapped the will of a Muton Elite like a twig.

Our newest recruit, Fournier pulled off a couple of kills as well. Not bad for a professional chef. His accent is kinda badass I have to say. Some are saying that his food is quite delish. Marshall seems to be completely obsessed with beating him in a cooking competition. Never mind the fact that we just stole a body from right underneath ADVENT's noses, reversed the Avatar project all the way back to the dark ages, and that we're about to investigate these codex co-ordinates. Nope, we've got to get into a measuring contest. Priorities Marshall! Besides, I'll never forget that first meal you made me… who else are you trying to impress? I figured he should take some time to re-evaluate some things, so I've left him alone for the night. My heart's pumping. I shouldn't have snapped at him like that… I don't like to argue, but men sometimes… always got to be the best. Isn't it enough that Marshall's way more capable out in the field than Fournier ever will be? He doesn't have to win at everything, you know! He's already won me over...

On the topic of Marshall though, he told me he had something to say about the Commander. I shouldn't have asked what it was. He said … * ahem * "Priya, don't panic or anything, but – the Commander may be an alien." Alright, at the time, I couldn't help but snicker, but he had this deadpan look on his face that I couldn't ignore. I dismissed it then and there, but the Commander did say something curious during this latest op as well when we first breached the facility…

" _I think I've always entered from this side – we can check the right side this time."_

Great, now I'm turning into a conspiracy nut. Nah, it's impossible that the Commander is an alien. Maybe it's that amnesia thing the Commander's suffering from again and he's forgetting we've never been to this kinda place before? Whatever that statement meant, it's only going to fuel Marshall's suspicions even further. Oh shoot, maybe I shouldn't leave him all by himself tonight then. He probably doesn't think I noticed that he'd had a bit of whiskey lingering in his breath when he told me his theory. Maybe after I talk to Heidi, I'll go back. Maybe.

Anyway, like I promised… it's time to clear the air regarding this dream of hers. It's probably nothing, and it really is none of my business. I just don't want things to get awkward between us. It's nice to have at least one psi op as a friend. Here's hoping I come back from the psi lab with my soul still intact.

Out.


	12. Logs 61 - 63

Intermission – Priya Learns Heidi's Past (Part 60 by David Tarnawski)  


Before Priya could even say anything, Heidi had darted back into the Psi Lab, distraught.

 _Damn it, I knew this was a bad idea._

She longed to comfort Heidi, but with Moreau in the Psi Lab most likely curious now as to how Priya had reduced her fellow Psion to tears, that wasn't gonna happen. Such a burden must've weighed heavily on Heidi, but it just went to show that she was another trooper aboard this ship who had something to prove... something to atone for. Empty inside after having that bombshell dropped on her, Priya felt her mind clear at long last, severing the connection with Heidi for good. And with that, Priya bustled up the stairs and back to her quarters in case Moreau stormed out of the lab swinging.

* * *

Intermission – Priya and Mentar Aruth (Part 60 by Darkly)  


Priya felt eyes on her, her skin turning ice cold. Aruth, twirling his scalpel in his hand like a toy, gave her a sly smirk, mumbling something incoherent to himself. She swallowed, turning her back towards him and headed the other way. If it came to it, could she even take this guy on? Doubts began to plague her mind as she hurried out of the hangar, heart pounding.

"If he doesn't see me coming," she thought. "I might have a chance."

Then again, maybe she was in over her head. Maybe this was something best left handled by Walker's new initiative? One thing was for sure though: she'd have to try harder to stay invisible during her surveillance of Mentar Aruth.

* * *

Intermission – Priya Supporting Walker's Proposal (Part 60 by GalacticCoach)  


Priya spared a glance at Jasmine, unsure of what her reaction would be. In any case, Priya was the first to stand up straight, saluting the Brigadier with a smile.

"I'm with you, Big W. Every step of the way."

* * *

Part 61 – The Gate

 **Cpt. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 61**

If robbing the ADVENT forge of that stranger in a stasis suit was our haymaker, stealing this psionic gate from that Chryssalid infested field was our curb stomp. Thank goodness I wasn't involved in this latest op. For one, there were Chryssalids crawling everywhere. Not only could they burrow beneath the ground and pop up any time, they could also leap into the air with those freakish legs of theirs. No, thanks. After Ali told me of an XCOM operation he'd undertaken at an infested village called Newfoundland, I've been terrified of those things ever since. And secondly, after carrying that stasis suit out of the forge, there was no way I was gonna haul a huge psionic gateway up the Avenger ramp. Just in case there is another recovery mission or something though, I should probably ask Jaz to show me exactly what a 'deadlift' is and how it'll help.

Tygan and Shen are working overtime in the Shadow Chamber, trying to find out as much as possible about the aliens and the specifics of the Avatar project exactly. Now that I think about it, we don't really know much of what the aliens are up to, only that it'll spell doom for humanity if it is ever completed. As a result of our two latest ops, we've reversed the Avatar project almost completely. Surely it's all over, right? I wish. I don't think the aliens are likely to pack it up and shoot off back to their miserable rock, but it's nice to dream.

Speaking of dreams, I felt touched that Heidi could trust me enough to tell me her secret. It seems that I have a way of eliciting trust among the crew. Nothing wrong with that. But when she told me about the man in her dream, Tommy, I had no idea what to say. I didn't have to though, because she broke down crying and dashed back into the Psi Lab. Heidi, someone so fierce as to literally melt the souls of ADVENT units, once believed in their cause and even turned in her childhood friend because of it. Again, I had mixed feelings… how could she betray someone so close to her like that? Years and years of loyalty and friendship, gone in a second. But then again, she wasn't fortunate enough to live outside the ring of propaganda ADVENT blared out to anyone who could hear. And thinking back to Walker's rally a few days ago, how could I turn on her now that we're supposed to be a family?

I've looked past Marshall's dark history … and Heidi came clean with me just like he did, because they both trusted me. Wouldn't it be hypocritical of me to not judge her in the same way as I judged him? Would I be no different to her, turning her in and erasing our friendship up to this point? But there's the fact that there's no doubt in my mind that a traitor at my resistance camp turned us in, leading to Ali's capture and my near death. I've never particularly cared for traitors or snitches, thanks to the son of a bitch that got Ali killed… Ahh, too many conflicts in my mind. I knew I shouldn't have asked her about that damn dream. Fudge…

* deep breath *

…

… Okay, I've decided. I won't tell anyone. Heidi knows her mistake, and it happened a long time ago now. Like Marshall, she's got a desire to redeem herself, and from what I could tell, the memory of it eats her up inside. I'd say that she's paid enough of a price. I don't need to exasperate her emotions further, especially now that she's psionic. Besides, I like being the person everyone can count on aboard this ship. I'll pay Heidi another visit soon and assure her that I've got her back. I realized I never told her since she disappeared straight after her confession.

On another note, I think Aruth's on to me. He's acting a little _too_ perfect, to the point where it's become suspicious. If he's clever, he's probably accessed my file and knows what I'm capable of. One thing I've learned is to never underestimate your opponent, something Marshall seems to be doing at the moment with this guy. I kept my eye on him during the latest op, and he's got quite impressive aim. I have to be careful too though. Walker's proposal for order aboard this ship applies to me as well. I can't go around antagonising this psycho unless I have grounds for it. Maybe I should drop the cloak and dagger and just talk to him face to face and find out what's going on. As if he'll tell me, but it might catch him a little off guard. No one else seems to talk to him.

It'll have to wait though. We've got another ADVENT VIP to snatch and grab. Great. If I'm on cargo duty, I'd better find Jaz for a quick gym session. Or maybe … hehe, Marshall could help instead.

Out.

* * *

Part 62 - Steam Roller

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 62**

Major Korpal… this is getting more insane by the minute. Almost as insane as that first Muton Elite we encountered. Who knew Jaz could intimidate one of those things into shitting the bed and blowing up its own comrades? It was just one of many explosions though. I almost went deaf during this entire op, seeing as something different blew up every minute. Fields would've loved the fireworks if he'd have come. I wonder how scared the enemy VIP was, seeing his used car lot exploding like a mine field? At least this time, Fournier was the one designated to pick up the VIP and extract him. I still felt sore all over from that gym session with Jaz, so there was no way I'd have made it very far. Marshall gave me a massage from heaven afterwards though. He's got some divine hands, that's for sure. See, he's plenty talented. Let Fournier have his cooking contest.

Of course, after the AO had been cleared, Moreau and I had to be the last ones to the extraction point. She dished out a null lance for no reason whatsoever, probably in an attempt to intimidate me or something. God knows what goes on in that cesspit of a mind. I just rolled my eyes and got the hell out of there. Weirdo. Apparently she had some sort of scuffle with Heidi in the Psi Lab after I learned about Tommy. Does she know nothing of compassion and sympathy? Walker hasn't laid down the justice hammer on them just yet, probably because Col. Longfellow takes responsibility for the Psi Ops. Hmm.

On a more positive note about the op, the Commander held off on his signature mocking my voice this time. I did my best to keep my cool this mission and stay concealed so as to not let my twitchy behaviour take over (yes, twitchy, not the other word that rhymes with it). I did hear him asking over comms why I couldn't be more like Jasmine, all smiles and pleasantry while out in the field. Well, unlike her, I don't get any kind of thrill putting my life on the line to fight back against ADVENT. I'm not a hardened vet like Walker, a sociopath like Moreau, or a hitman like Karasuma. I'm one of the greenest people aboard this ship (even some of the lower ranks have more experience), and I'm terrified every time I go out there. But I do it anyway, because I want to take this fight to the aliens just as much as everyone else here. Still, imagine knowing that any mistake you make could get yourself or your friends killed... any mistake could spell doom for XCOM as a whole… any mistake could lead the aliens to victory. How do you cope under all that pressure and weight on your shoulders? How do you keep focused and calm? Well, for me, I'm not ashamed to say it: snarkiness, because if I don't alleviate all that stress and start panicking, I just become another Batch. Another potential Squadwipe.

Another liability.

Sure, sometimes I let the Commander's words get to me, but – I'd always rather that we all came back home alive despite my sassy attitude than all of us dead or captured because I was too focused on trying to be all grins and giggles. On the bright side, everyone else aboard the Avenger seems to understand, and I'm grateful for that. Of course, I'm most grateful that I have Marshall, and that I have Jaz, the two who understand me the most. Thinking back to our side mission in New York City, I'm so glad that we've earned points in Marshall's favour after capturing his former co-worker for some intel gathering. Not to mention it was fun for a change having someone else direct the operation instead of the Commander. Things got a bit hairy out there, but we all came back in one piece. We've still got the battle ahead of us that is exonerating Marshall of his crimes with ADVENT, but I'll do whatever it takes to clear his name. Moreau, on the other hand? Well, I'm sure she'll have at least one person in her corner. It just won't be me.

The Commander's given me this skulljack thingee to use next operation, and he's given me another pep talk. Our primary directive is to rescue this scientist, but I'm told I should attempt to jack a Codex if an opportunity presents itself. Close range? Me? Oh boy. I don't have the CQC skills like Marshall or Jaz... I feel like there's a lot I don't know, especially since I'm now a Major. Not to mention that, from what I remember, those Codex units are finicky as hell. I'm just glad Heidi is gonna come out with us this mission instead of Moreau. I've also been told to gather intelligence about the enemies in the field so I can give regular 'sitreps' to the squad. That definitely sounds like something useful I can do. We've got Batch coming along for the ride this time. I can only hope Heidi will be able to keep him calm with that 'solace' aura she can conjure up. Don't think it'll help me with my attitude though.

Out.

* * *

Part 63 – HQ + GK

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 63**

I feel sick. Right now, I'm sitting here alone. I can't bring myself to face anyone at the moment. Not Jaz, not Marshall… just you and me. I'll tell you in a second, once I've sorta worked up the courage, but for now, let's go over what just happened down there.

First off, Batch kept his cool, which is freakin' amazing. I guess the others finally got through to him… because I almost crapped my pants when that Hive Queen and its little sidekick launched up into the air and stared at our little conga line we'd set up on the overpass. We targeted the usual weak point, and Batch landed a lovely acid bomb on them both. Walker of course managed to land some nice double taps on a few enemies. Carmine took a bit of a whack, so she's in the AWC again. Now that Mason's more or less retired from operations, she's taken up his designated bed. Locke didn't do half bad considering her long hiatus. Fighting alongside Walker probably helped with that. She did sorta go after the Archon that Heidi had under her spell, but she realised at the last second and missed her swipe. I gave her an intel report of an ADVENT unit nearby though, and she slashed him in two, no sweat.

This entire operation though, things got real hectic, real fast. We faced off against a whole bunch of aliens at once, Heidi almost blew Walker to kingdom come, those giant Chryssalids scuttling around… and the fact that I skulljacked a Codex. Operation Cryptic Slumber lived up to its name…

What. The. Shit…

 **THAT'S** what they've been working on this whole time? That's why the Commander made me jack that bouncing yellow piece of crap? I didn't know what to expect when I slammed those spikes into the Codex brain, but it definitely wasn't that freakish thing… It looked like something out of the animes Ali and I used to watch. Tygan has since identified it as … an Avatar. Wow. If it weren't for Heidi standing by with her stasis field, who knows what could've happened? All those people turned into mush… all those facilities we blew up… it all led up to this? The amount of psionic energy that thing possessed… when I took the kill shot on it, it exploded in a ball of purple energy… I could've sworn I saw something hovering behind it, like a ghost controlling a puppet. In any case, it gave me a headache for the rest of the operation…

Which brings me to this moment now. The psionic energy that engulfed me… it woke something up inside me… I feel like all my memories have unlocked… like I finally have total clarity. The day Ali was taken away… the day my home was destroyed… the day everything changed for me. What should've been unforgettable – tucked away in the recesses of my mind… I couldn't recall most of what happened that day for a long time, but now?

I remember everything.

And – a – and it's not – * sniff * it's not good!

… Ali's dead because of me. My friends are dead because of me. Everything that happened that day – it's crystal clear.

It was all my fault.


	13. What Priya Did (Backstory)

Priya's Backstory – Part 1

 **June, 2034**

"Bahan… c'mon, you didn't eat your veg again!"

Priya gave her older brother a glum look, stabbing her fork into the remnants of her food. "Aww, you know I hate sweet potato…"

Ali rolled his eyes, smirking as he crossed his arms. "Hmph. That's only 'cause Ma made you eat it for a whole month after you smashed those eggs on Mrs. Henderson's blue van."

"Oh my gosh, I was only five!" Priya wailed in protest. "And you'd told me it'd make it sparkly." She felt a smile seep through her faux anger. In hindsight, it was embarrassing that she'd fallen for his trick even at such a young age.

"Yeah," Ali said, now breaking into a fit of laughter. "Then Ma made me drag you over to her house to say sorry, and you wouldn't stop crying for hours and hours. You'd even tried to give her all your pocket change that you saved up. All $5.50 of it."

"Stop!" Priya delivered a mild punch to Ali's shoulder before joining in on the laughter over the memory.

Life before the invasion... She'd been so young; she could hardly remember. Priya and Ali had been inseparable their entire lives despite their significant age difference. With their father dying early in Priya's life shortly after moving to the US, she only had her brother left when their mother drowned trying to save a child. To supplement their income, Ali conscripted with the Nevada National Guard as a reserve unit while working a full-time job to help Priya through school. When the aliens invaded, Ali had been transferred to the XCOM project the moment it happened, despite having no combat experience. A mere rookie, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant before the project collapsed after the Commander had been captured. With XCOM in disarray, Ali Korpal survived to fight another day. He fled the organisation to reunite with his younger sister, and the siblings disappeared out into the wilderness.

Now here they were, still together. Priya had grown up a lot since Earth's surrender, though Ali had insisted on preserving her innocence. Despite the dangers and risks associated with being part of the resistance, he kept her from involvement with combat training and the camp's meagre guerrilla operations. Not that she wanted to learn anyway. She was perfectly happy tending to the crops, working on her artwork and generally maintaining the outpost.

"I miss Ma," Priya said, gazing downward as a light draft blew inside through the window. "And I miss our old life – our lives before the aliens."

"I know you do," Ali said, frowning as he leaned back in his chair. "I do too."

There was a brief pause before Ali continued. "Y'know, all these years later – I still think about what could've been if we hadn't lost our Commander during the war. Could we have won?"

"I bet you could've made it happen."

Ali gave a weak smile. "I doubt it'd have been because of me, you goose! But – I've heard rumors that XCOM is still out there somewhere, picking a fight wherever they can. I should've stayed to help, but I couldn't risk losing my little sister. You."

Priya's eyes lit up at his words. The only person in the world who mattered to her had decided to put her above all else. As selfish as it was, she found comfort in that fact, and now she was positively beaming.

"I'm glad I still have you after all these past few years, bhaiya (older brother). Looking out for me as always."

"And I'm glad I have you, my little Priya." He shrugged, giving her a light noogie on her head, much to her chagrin. "I can't complain anyway, considering I volunteered for this job. I mean, who else could handle such a wild goose that doesn't eat her sweet potatoes that her bhaiya worked so hard to cook?"

Priya heaved a sigh. "Hmm… since you take care of me so well," she slid her plate across the table, "please, pretty please take this stuff away from me. I'll even give you $5.50?"

"Tsk, one day bahan, a sweet potato will be all we have left, and no amount of small change is gonna save you from it."

* * *

The next morning, Priya had managed to escape the resistance camp undetected. It wasn't the first time; Ali had warned her not to head out on her own, but her cheeky descent into deviant behaviour knew no bounds. Besides, she had a good reason this time. Ali's birthday loomed ahead, and she wanted a proper gift. He, along with several others had embarked on a scouting mission to hopefully 'procure' some supplies from a troop transport a fair distance away from the resistance outpost. That bought her enough time to scour some nearby locations. She knew just the thing to get, but where to find it? Another challenge entirely.

It took just under an hour to reach a nearby hamlet, thanks to a bicycle Priya had tucked away near her escape point at the camp. She hadn't gone this far away before though, but their own resistance members regularly checked in on surrounding points of interest to ensure ADVENT maintained a safe enough distance from the outpost. Still, it was quite a risk she'd taken coming out here alone.

 _You'll be fine Pri_ , she thought to herself. _Just get in and out as fast as you can._

Anxious, Priya took a quick survey of her surroundings before moving in to clear the small houses around her. Something felt off though. The hamlet was too quiet. Too peaceful. She kept her guard up just in case. Besides, she needed to be back at camp before Ali and the other scouts returned.

Combing through the buildings, she struggled to find what she was looking for. Thankfully, she caught a break in the second to last building left to search. "Aha!" she cried, swiping an 'Old World' five dollar note from an old bedside table drawer, along with a couple of coins to reach a total of $5.50. "I guess this'll be okay." A sentimental present almost guaranteed to make Ali laugh? It was better than any other gift she could provide these days.

But then just seconds later, she heard the roar of an ADVENT dropship above. Her heart dropped as she shifted near the window to peek. A few troopers, a Muton, and what appeared to be a Sectoid Commander disembarked and landed in the middle of the road. She clasped her hand over her mouth. Shoot. How did they know someone was here? Had she been careless and tripped a sensor or something? She held her breath, watching as the Sectoid Commander summoned a storm of psionic energy and unleashed a wave of it upon the immediate area.

Priya felt nothing, though the Sectoid's head snapped towards her location. With a snarl, it pointed directly at her. Panic settled in as the troops began to mobilize.

"No, no, no, no…"

She turned to run, but another blast of psionic energy shot towards her, stopping her right in her tracks as the sectoid attempted to wrest control.

 **"No!"**

Her mind spun, head feeling like it had burst into flame. She found herself losing focus as she tried her best to shut out the invading force.

 _Do not fight us. We anticipated that someone would come here sooner or later. Someone careless. Someone weak – like you._

Priya screamed, collapsing on her knees. The dissenting voices flooded her mind, tuning everything out as they overloaded her senses.

 _Where is your resistance cell, little girl? Where are you, your friends and your family hiding? Tell us whe – no… Show us where. Lead the way… and help us eradicate this pathetic resistance movement of yours once and for all. You are but a puny child now under my control, and you will do as I command._

Priya's shrieks ceased, replaced by heavy breathing as she spluttered onto the floor, feeling sick.

Unable to fight the pain... unable to resist anymore, Priya surrendered her will to her new master. She rose to her feet, dazed in a trance-like state. Everything was clear now. The voices… she would lead them back to her camp. She would show them the way…

And she would help them destroy her home.

* * *

Priya's Backstory – Part 2

 **June, 2034**

The sun had begun its descent, imbuing the sky with an orange hue. Ensuring she was out of sight, Priya tucked away the bicycle and re-entered the resistance camp. From the looks of things, everything appeared to be business as usual.

 _You've served your purpose. Peacekeepers have been dispatched. Now – arm yourself with a weapon, and unleash hell upon your friends and family. Show no mercy._

Priya pressed her glasses up against her eyes, now glowing an ominous purple shade. Most of the camp's residents had already retired into their lodges, likely preparing dinners so they could conceal before nightfall. Lights glowing in the middle of the woods would alert any ADVENT airships if any were to pass by overnight, hence the strict curfew.

Surveying her surroundings, a silhouette perched on the nearby watchtower caught Priya's attention.

' _Oh no.'_

She found herself shuffling towards the tower before grasping the ladder. Her treacherous intent drowned out her mental pleas for liberty as she climbed. Fully aware as her body acted against her will, Priya felt horror and dread with regards to what her controller had planned for her to accomplish.

Reaching the summit, she hauled herself up. The sunset had now taken on a blood red shade and the cool night breeze began to settle. The woman in front of her glanced over her shoulder to greet her visitor.

"Oh, hiya Priya!"

The silhouette had been that of Tina, one of the camp sentries. She sat on a rusted metal chair, accompanied by a thermos, a transceiver, and an old Barrett sniper rifle. A revolver and a hunting knife remained sheathed in their appropriate holsters by her thighs.

' _Tina, run. They're coming. Warn everyone and run. Please!'_

"Hello Tina," Priya said, bowing her head. "I am sorry to come up uninvited like this. I just thought I would pay you a visit."

"What're ya talkin' about, silly," Tina said, beaming. "Ya don't need no invite to come up here." Her smile faltered a little, looking at the state Priya was in. "Ya feeling okay, darl? Ya seem awfully pale."

' _Yes! Come on Tina, you know me! I don't act like this. Please tell me you know something's wrong!'_

Priya returned a cutesy smile, approaching the woman. "Me? Oh, I am fine. I am just a bit tired, that is all. Has my older brother returned yet?"

Tina studied Priya for a moment, giving her a look of incredulity before dispelling her own doubts and answering her. "Not that I recall. They should be back any moment now though, they radioed in a few –"

" **Tina! Tina, do you copy!?"**

Ali's voice. The comm relay beside Tina had crackled to life.

" **ADVENT troop transports on the way, ETA two minutes! Get everybody out! We're almost there!"**

Her brow raised in alarm, Tina scrambled out of her seat and grabbed the transceiver. "Right awa – ackh…"

Tina's words were cut short. Priya had snatched the knife from Tina's holster and plunged it into the back of her neck. Tina gurgled, blood shooting up her throat as she slumped forward onto the relay. One last gasp of pain and surprise escaped her before she went limp. Priya stepped back, heart pounding against her chest so hard that it hurt.

' _'No... Tina! No, I didn't want – I didn't want to! Why are you doing this!?'_

 _To send a message. To the resistance, and to XCOM._

Ali's warning had come too late, Priya had made sure of that. The deafening roar of the airships drew closer. The peacekeepers had arrived.

From the skies, they opened fire at once. The lodges exploded and burst into flame as shells rained down from above. Dozens of screams echoed throughout the camp as people fled their homes in panic and terror. Priya had a prime view of the carnage from up top, watching as families and friends caught bullets in their backs in a futile attempt to escape. Unbuckling Tina's other holster, Priya snatched her revolver and took some shots of her own on the civilians below.

Her struggle to compete for mental control and her inability to handle the recoil caused her aim to be erratic. Still, the sight of her home reduced to a giant inferno was hard to swallow. People she'd come to know, her friends were dying before her eyes, and she could do absolutely nothing but contribute to the devastation. She felt sick. If she ever regained control… if she even remembered that she'd done this… she wasn't sure she'd be able to live with herself.

With only two bullets left, Priya landed a shot on one of the older men attempting to seek cover. But just before she could finish him, a large crash caught her attention. Three jeeps had burst through the main gates, with their occupants firing at the dropships above. Priya recognised the vehicles. Ali and the other combatants had finally returned to join the fight.

Sensing an opportunity to take down more threats to ADVENT, Priya leaped from the tower, sprawling onto the ground from the awkward landing. ADVENT troopers and Mutons also made their descent as their ships continued to circle in the air, focusing their fire on any structures potentially housing rebels. Climbing to her feet, Priya spotted Ali jumping out of the lead vehicle and firing on the ADVENT ground units.

"Priya!?" he called out, moving unknowingly towards her position as he continued to shoot. "Priya, where are you!?"

A sly grin spread across Priya's face.

 _Perfect._

' _No... not bhaiya, don't you dare!'_

She wandered through the battlefield, disregarding the bullets and plasma whizzing past. The other resistance scouts had shot off in different directions, aiming to rescue as many as possible while driving back the invading force. That left Ali on his own as he searched for his sister. As Priya drew nearer, Ali's gaze finally met with hers.

"Priya!?"

With the revolver held in an iron grip and her brother in her sights, it could only mean one thing. In a last-ditch effort to save him, Priya summoned all the will and courage she could muster as a single tear slid from her eye.

"… Shoot me."

 _If you insist._

Priya raised the gun beneath her chin and wrapped her finger around the trigger.

But she'd hardly squeezed it when Ali speared himself into his beloved sister. The revolver flew from her hands as they both hit the dirt.

"Sectoid!" Ali screamed at the top of his lungs. "Someone find it and kill it, now!" He kept Priya pinned as she thrashed about, her violet eyes filled with hatred and anger.

"Got eyes on it!" someone radioed in. "It's in the storage unit! Flash out!"

A flash of white, followed closely by a thundering boom escaped through a nearby window. Priya's struggle ceased at once as a sectoid's shriek pierced the air. The connection had been severed.

Still out in the open, Ali dragged his sister behind a stack of crates for cover and shook her unconscious body.

"Priya, bahan, are you okay!? Please! Wake up!"

Priya stirred, opening her eyes in a squint. Her head buzzed in pain as she struggled to get her bearings.

"Whuh? What's happening? Where am I?"

Ali sighed with relief, wiping his forehead. "C'mon, I need to get you out of here." He rose to his feet, switching to his pistol. Grabbing her left arm, he draped it around his neck. "Up, Priya, c'mon we have to go, right now!"

Disoriented, Priya allowed herself to use him for support. Fifty feet away, the jeeps' engines purred. With nothing to lose, Ali and Priya made a dash for them.

 _Thirty feet._

"You're doing fine bahan, you're being so brave right now."

A nearby Muton on overwatch spotted them and opened fire. Relying on his lightning reflexes, Ali succeeded in dodging the incoming fire.

 _Fifteen feet._

"Nearly there, Priya, just hol –"

Ali barely caught a glimpse of another Muton lying in wait behind the driver's door. Reacting, he spun his body to avoid the shot. Losing his balance, Ali could do nothing but brace as the shot meant for him collided with his little sister instead.

Time slowed as Priya caught the blast in her gut. Eyes widened, she let out a shocked yelp. Her arm slid from Ali's shoulder, and she crumpled to the ground.

"No! Bahan! Oh my God, Priya! Noooo!" Everything sounded distorted and distant, as though she'd been plunged underwater. The edges of her vision were dark. Above, she watched helplessly as the first Muton charged into Ali, knocking him against the jeep. The other Muton came to its aid, training its rifle on their captive while the first one restrained him.

"That was my fucking sister, you assholes! My little sister!" He roared, wrestling against their firm grip. Priya could do nothing but watch in terror. He must have thought she was dead. The agony in his voice… the tears in his eyes… she couldn't bear to see him like this.

He continued to fight, leading the Mutons to pummel him until he could no longer resist. Ali took every blow with defiance and rage, but in the end, he didn't have the strength to slip through their grasp. Satisfied that they'd broken him, the two aliens began to march him towards a nearby troop transport, along with the other prisoners.

" **You'll pay for what you've done! Cowards! Get your God damn fucking hands off me! I'll kill every last one of you, you hear me!? I swear to God I will! Priyaaaaaaaaaa! No!"**

Utterly powerless, everything became a blur for Priya. Laying eyes on her brother for the last time, she couldn't stave off the darkness any longer. As far as she was concerned, the aliens had won again…

She closed her eyes in defeat, and embraced the void.


	14. Logs 64 - 66

Part 64 – Priya's Perfect Present

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 64**

It's been a rough week. I've kept myself secluded, avoiding the others. These days, I only spend time with Marshall and Jaz. I don't want the others to see me like this – a broken, empty shell of who I once was. Of course, Jaz had to catch me blubbering and sobbing during my last recording. It had all came to light what really happened the day my home had been reduced to ashes. Jaz has an inkling of what happened, and so does Marshall. Jaz thinks it's a case of survivor's guilt, and maybe she's right… but I can't accept that explanation right now.

"We're not Gods, Pri," she'd told me. "Some things are just beyond our control. That includes who lives and who dies at any one moment. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault, and I believe that with all my heart."

If only she knew how much things had been beyond my control that day. The powerlessness I felt as I watched – as I helped! Helped burn down my home…

I'm afraid.

No, that's not right. No, I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed of what happened to me, ashamed that my stupidity and recklessness led to so many unnecessary deaths. That my disregard for my brother's warnings led to his capture, and likely a long, torturous demise. That he died believing that he'd failed to protect me, thinking I was dead. The resistance hadn't put in much effort into finding him as quick as possible. After all, he'd deserted XCOM to look after me. A guy from my camp named Lloyd headed up the search, and he didn't particularly care for either Ali or myself. I'm so freaking stupid. This whole time, I thought someone had turned traitor within our camp, and I'd zeroed in on Lloyd being the turncoat. But no, it was me this entire time.

* sniff * I'll tell Marshall and Jaz eventually about everything. They probably won't hate me, because they're amazing like that, but they should. Or at least feel disappointed… I don't deserve to be fighting alongside these other people. We've got some real heroes on this ship… and we've got me. The young rogue that gets mocked by the Commander every time she goes out there. The rogue who isn't even eligible for a Brigadier rank. The rogue who couldn't perform at her best because she can't handle a rifle and needs an SMG to aim properly.

At least that last point has been rectified recently. The Commander stuck to his promise and produced a scramgun. But maybe it doesn't even matter anymore. Just look at this last operation… I got sloppy, losing focus all thanks to this bullshit that's cropped up late –

" _Priya!"_

Huh? Marsh – what the!?

" _Brace! We've got a UFO on appr – "_

* * *

Part 65 – AVENGER D#

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 65**

These old memories of mine… these wounds I'd barely taped closed are slowly opening back up. And having to defend the Avenger against an endless onslaught of ADVENT didn't help matters much. All it did was remind me of what I had done when ADVENT had assaulted my camp… The atrocity I'd committed. I wonder if Central, or any of the top guys know… Would I get tried with Marshall and the others? I'd deserve it. I've noticed Central's been keeping an eye on me lately. I guess he's noticed that I haven't been causing as much trouble on the ship. Not like him to worry, especially about me, but who knows…

I didn't get to head out with the defense team, which is probably for the best. We had the all-stars out there kicking ass and holding the line like absolute heroes. Walker, Carmine, Heidi, Carter, Longfellow and Marshall put in so much work, they didn't even care that the Avenger had come back online almost immediately after deployment. I guess it was about making a statement. That ADVENT left their assault on us far too late. They should've just blown us out of the sky instead of taking the risk of shutting us down. Still, I never thought the Avenger would've gone down like that. Everyone appears to be okay. Kyra and Carter took a few hits out there. I hugged Marshall like I never have before… I'm so glad he came back alive – he'd been out on his own out there… If I'd lost him…

Of course, the discovery that they intended on capturing us rather than destroying us only adds more fuel to the fire with regards to the Commander and his supposed connection to the aliens… I don't know how, but Marshall has gotten me curious with regards to this… theory. Marshall's arranged a meeting with Walker to discuss things. It'll be the first time I've seen Walker in a while since the supply raid. I've been trying to take my mind off these flashbacks lately. I figured I'd check out what Aruth has been up to, but of course, not being in a good state of mind led to me getting careless. I think he's made me. I should probably just give up on spying, and let the others handle him if he gets out of hand. That's what Walker's proposal is for, right?

Anyway, Marshall is getting more and more worried about me by the minute, I can tell. Same with Jasmine. I think I'll organise a moment to tell them both about what happened. I need to share it with someone, or else it'll consume me completely. I've been having thoughts about doing something radical…

Like abandoning ship… or worse…

Out.

* * *

Part 66 – Viper Sandwich

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 66**

Time marches on, as does our campaign against ADVENT. They're struggling to pick up the pieces of their little Avatar project, but we just keep kicking them while they're on the ground. As soon as we received a tip-off about a new alien facility, the Commander scrambled together a team to go forth and shut that shit down. The aliens are on their last legs, and it's so satisfying to see. There's nothing they can do at this point to stop us after they blew their last opportunity with that UFO knocking us out of the sky. The Commander even sent in a team specialised for close quarters combat to keep us troopers from getting complacent, and to give Walker a much needed break. Well, turns out we can still cruise through these guerrilla operations no matter what kind of squad composition we've deployed. At least, that's what I heard. I'd been too busy with something else to watch the feed this time.

What's _really_ got everyone worried is the dramas aboard this ship. Walker and Carmine seem to be investigating something, but as for what it is, I'm not sure. If I had to guess, it'd be if we've got a mole in the team that might've signalled the UFO on our location. Hmm… I've made the mistake before of incorrectly accusing others for being a traitor… in fact, I nearly killed someone because I'd been convinced that they were the ones who'd revealed the location of my camp and got Ali killed. Of course, little did I know… I was the one who'd unwillingly betrayed my outpost all along.

I just hope that Walker and Carmine are absolutely sure we've even got an ADVENT informant aboard the Avenger before they start naming names.

Then, what once started out as a drunken conspiracy theory from Marshall has gone farther than I ever could've imagined. Even Walker's dipped his nose in it, and the guy's a Brigadier. Marshall seems so utterly convinced that even I can't help but believe him. Then we had that huge psionic wave passing through shortly after the Skyranger deployed for the latest op. I thought it was another one of those Avatars… but no one seems to have any kind of explanation yet. I did notice that Kyra looked a bit miffed, and well… I haven't seen the other Psi Ops lately. Then again, I've been avoiding that lab like the plague. I never want to get involved with psionics ever again. One of the benefits of my upcoming decision I guess.

Jaz and Marshall have just literally come back from their deployment. Once they've settled back in, I'll tell them everything. I need to get it off my chest with the two people I trust the most.

And then after that? I'll be gone…

I won't tell them I'm leaving because I know they will try and stop me. I've already made up my mind, and it's the right thing to do. I only joined XCOM because I thought it'd bring me closer to bhaiya (older brother). I thought I'd be able to exact punishment on the aliens for what they did to my home, but – really, I should've been punishing myself all along. I love Marshall… I really do… but he deserves someone better than me. Same with Jaz … Heidi … Vivi … Walker … everyone. They're so close to ending this Avatar project and the Elders only hope for survival, I'm sure of it. Not to mention that we've basically got a small army at this point thanks to the Commander's recruiting efforts. That's why I know it's okay for me to go. There's no doubt about it, they can finish this without me. I'm happy for them. But I don't deserve such a happy ending after what I've done.

I've got my own shit to sort out. Next time the Avenger lands, I'll sneak out of here, and that'll be the end of it.

…

…

Thanks for the memories.

And so for the last time…

Out.


	15. Priya's Departure

Intermission – Priya Saying Goodbye to Skadden (Part 66 by Alex P)  


"How long is he gonna be out for, Doc?"

The engineer shrugged.

"Sorry, Korpal. I suppose he'll wake when he wakes. I'll leave you two alone." He stepped out.

Priya looked to Marshall lying still in his temporary bed at the AWC, her face filled with concern. She knew it'd be a bad idea to hit the Psi Lab, but it was for Marshall's sake. Predictably, something had gone wrong and now Marshall was unconscious after Heidi had attempted to probe his mind. With consent, of course.

"If what you say is true, and you were mind controlled to kill an innocent person," she whispered, brushing his hair from his forehead. "I can tell you that I know exactly how it feels."

No response. Marshall was out cold.

"Trust me," Priya said, swallowing. "You're better off not remembering."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I wish I could tell you everything… I wish I'd just told you when I first found out actually, because now I'm afraid I won't get the chance to."

She checked over her shoulder to make sure no one else was listening.

"I'm sorry Marshall, but I can't stay here aboard this ship, knowing what I've done. I need to be alone. I deserve to be alone, and you deserve someone better than me. And I'm also sorry that I have to do this while you're asleep, but maybe it's better this way. Easier… for both of us."

She kissed him on the forehead.

"I love you."

Wiping her eyes, Priya slid off the bed. She checked her watch, confirming that they were approaching on midnight. The Avenger had landed in a remote region, meaning it was time to go. Back at her quarters, everything was packed and ready for pick up. Just a quick stop at the armory to pinch a scramgun for the road, then she'd be gone.

"Goodbye, Marshall."

* * *

Intermission – Priya's Departure

Priya stared at the darkness that awaited her beyond the Avenger ramp. A thunderstorm raged outside, though the night sky obscured the pouring rain. Holding the strap of her backpack, Priya took a deep breath.

 _Time to go._

Adjusting her grip, she made her first steps down the ramp towards her new life of self-exile.

"Korpal?"

Priya yelped, startled by the sudden voice barking behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. Central stood at the ramp's peak, arms crossed with a grimace on his face.

"Y – yes, Central?"

"Where d'you think you're going?"

Priya gave a heavy sigh. "I – I think it's time I left, sir."

"… what?"

"I don't believe that I belong aboard this ship any longer," Priya said, biting her lip before hastily appending "sir" to her last statement.

"Mind explaining to me how you've come to this conclusion at such a crucial point in this war?"

Priya hesitated. "Well, I – I've done… I've – "

Central glared, daring her to spit it out. She closed her eyes, composed herself and pressed on.

"I just recently learned that I'm responsible for the deaths of so many resistance members at the Bedrock Meadows resistance camp two years ago sir. My older brother, Ali Korpal, was among them. I don't know if you remember him, but he served with XCOM during the initial invasion." Her voice shook as she recounted the memory. What did it matter if Central knew? She was leaving anyway.

"I do remember him. I remember every single soldier I've served with, Priya. And I remember when I heard the news that he'd passed…"

She nodded, swallowing. "Right, of course. Well, to put it simply, I don't feel like that's the kind of history an XCOM operative should have, especially one related to a former XCOM soldier. I feel that it'd be a disgrace for me to continue to fight alongside other, more noble people worthy of being recognised as true heroes. People more known for saving lives, rather than ending them."

Central tapped his foot, frowning. "I see."

Unable to look Central in the eye any longer, Priya bowed her head and dipped her hands in her pockets. "Please say goodbye to everybody for me, sir, and let them know what an honour it was to work with them and all that stuff…"

Silence fell between the two of them as thunder continued to boom outside.

"So – permission to disembark the Avenger, si –"

"Denied."

Priya blinked rapidly, her eyebrows raised. "What!?"

"Quite frankly, I can't accept that explanation as a good enough reason for you to leave."

"But Central – "

"Enough." He took some steps forward towards Priya. Up close, the weariness in his face had become apparent.

"You think you're the only person on this ship who feels responsible for other people's deaths?"

"What, no, that's not – "

"Korpal!"

"S – sorry, sir."

"I've been with XCOM for the past 21 years. In that time, I've had to make a lot of choices. Some necessary ones, some tough ones, and some stupid ones. I can tell you right now that under my leadership, we were operating at a loss in terms of lives saved versus deaths caused before we rescued the Commander. And yet here I am, still fighting."

"With all due respect sir, you're a military man," Priya said, unfazed by his story. "I imagine that being responsible for people's lives and deaths is commonplace for you. But I'm no soldier sir… no hero. I'm just a soldier's little sister. Having the burden of so many deaths weighing on me is something I was never equipped to deal with. You even assigned me the callsign 'Innocence' because of my lack of experience." Her heart sank upon hearing her own words. Only now did she realise the irony of her nickname. She was far from innocent.

For the first time in a while, Priya saw Central give a weak smile. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of card.

"Take a look at this picture, Korpal."

Confused, Priya unfolded the card and revealed its contents: an old photograph of a large group of people posing in front of a Geoscape.

"This is one of the few photos we took of the original XCOM team back in 2015, after we shot down our first UFO. I'm sure a few of these faces will look familiar."

Priya studied the faces. Central Officer Bradford stood in the middle with a horrible green sweater. Flanking him on either side was a young woman in a lab coat and an older man that mildly resembled Lily Shen. Scanning the others, she noticed a younger, more handsome looking Michael Mason standing by the edge. He looked as intense as he did now, only without the horrid scars on his face. Beside him, Kyra Longfellow gave a warm smile to the camera with her hands by her sides, and behind her…

"Ali…"

Her older brother returned a nervous smile, looking awkward and out of place like a kid on their first day of school.

"I found this at Vahlen's lab when we first found out about those … experiments she'd been running." Central said, smirking at the sight of his outfit.

Priya cleared the lump in her throat. The only picture of Ali she had left was the one in her head, and now here was another. A tangible image. "Why are you showing me this?"

"If I'm not mistaken, your brother wasn't a soldier either. Just a young man doing the best he could to provide for his little sister. A young man who fought for a future she could enjoy. I'd say that's pretty heroic for a non-soldier."

Priya's lips trembled. "But I still don't understand why you want me to stay... Ali abandoned XCOM after the aliens captured the Commander. How come he could leave, but I can't?"

Central shook his head. "I never blamed him for abandoning XCOM after everything fell apart. He had a family to go back to and protect. A lot of XCOM operatives did."

"You didn't answer my question."

"As far as I'm aware Korpal, there are plenty of people aboard this ship that consider you family. That includes myself."

"You?"

"XCOM's been the only family I've had for the past 21 years, Priya. And if you leave, that's the equivalent of your brother turning his back on you. Is that what you want?"

"No… but after what I've done, how can I fight alongside people like Walker? Like Jaz, or Carmine? They're the real heroes. I'm just an idiot who made a stupid mistake that led to the deaths of so many."

"Exactly. A stupid mistake. You didn't mean for it to happen. It just did. You're not God, Korpal. Some things are just beyond our control. All we can do is the best that we can with what we _can_ control."

Central took another step forward towards a shrinking Priya and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You wanna be a real hero, like the others Korpal? Like your brother? Then here's what you need to do: you stay here with us, your 'family' and you piece your life back together. You find a way to forgive yourself for what happened to your brother. You carry on fighting for our future as a member of XCOM, and you grow up to be the kind of person that would've made your brother proud."

The words hit Priya like a truck. Central was right. What the hell was she thinking, abandoning her new family like this? She still had a lot to live for. A lot to fight for. Not to mention a potential life with Marshall if they ever finished this war.

And Ali would want her to stay. She held his dogtags still dangling from her neck, contemplating as a single tear slid down her cheek.

That's when she noticed several people emerging from the shadows behind Central. Jasmine, Marshall, Carmine, Viviana, Heidi, just to name a few. Marshall looked longingly back at her while Jasmine had tears of her own welling up. Both Walker and Carmine shared looks of concern. Even Moreau had bothered to show, unimpressed as she stood behind a frowning Heidi and a silent Aruth.

"I can't promise you that it'll be easy to do any of those things, Priya," Central said, nodding. "But you're an exceptional woman, and an exceptional soldier. You're a Major after all. Together, all of us," he waved at the people behind him, "we're gonna do the best that we can to take back Earth and avenge our fallen friends and family."

Unable to contain herself any longer, Priya began to choke up as her legs buckled from the overwhelming sight of her fellow soldiers being there for her. She dropped her bag on the deck and fell to her knees, bursting into tears.

"I – I'm so sorry!"

Shoving Central aside, Jasmine led the charge as the others ran forward to comfort the broken rogue.


	16. Logs 67 - 70

Part 67 – Dicey

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 67**

Isn't it funny how the choices you make can change the course of your life and who you become? I've just been thinking now… If I hadn't joined with XCOM after my home burned down, who would I have become? Would I even still be alive? Happy? Sad? Apathetic? Pathetic?

I came so close to leaving… to letting everything that mattered to me slip away, and for what? To prove a point to myself? Once the Avenger would've taken off and abandoned me, I knew I'd have instantly regretted my decision. I don't know what would've happened if Central hadn't been there to stop me. Perhaps he'd suspected my intentions for a while? If Aruth could figure it out, why couldn't he? Whatever the case, when I saw everyone looking back at me, I knew I couldn't leave them behind. I broke down in front of all of them and had a moment. Having the people who care about me comfort me and say that everything was okay… how could I not believe them? And to see that Marshall had managed to wake up and be there when that all happened…? I was so relieved to find out that not only was he okay, but that I hadn't left him behind. We went back to his quarters afterwards and I fell asleep in his arms. At that very moment, I knew I was where I belonged.

My new home. Funny, it took me a year and a half to fully realize this.

So, I'm going to fight on. I need to get back to work. While I'll always consider my brother and parents as my true family, who's to say that my fellow XCOM operatives can't be considered family too? Because they are.

Right. Ahem. Enough of the sappy stuff, let's get to the more concerning issues we've been facing before I melt down again. ADVENT seems to have come up with new, inventive ways to defend their facilities nowadays. No one knows for certain what happened down there, but Walker and Carmine, our two resident buddy cops are investigating. Could it be to do with a psionic field confusing everyone and their ability to recognise targets? Maybe. All I know for certain is that it almost led to a couple of deaths. Hopefully Tygan and Shen can come up with a solution for this ASAP. If the aliens are resorting to these sort of underhanded tactics that we can't predict, we could be in big trouble.

And if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought ADVENT knew of my weak mental state at the moment and were exploiting it. They've set out on another retaliation mission against a resistance camp, and they're tearing it apart just like Bedrock Meadows. I wanted nothing more than to get down there and redeem myself, but the Commander's opted to send down the best of the best. That includes Jaz. She promised to give them hell on my behalf. I gave her a tight hug and wished her luck. I can always count on her to step up for me. Let's see how long ADVENT can last when facing the might of XCOM's finest… when Walker isn't wearing that atrocious uniform.

Out.

* * *

Part 68 – Last Retaliation

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 68**

I knew this whole psionic network thing our team tried to implement was a load of bull and wouldn't work so easily. I tried to warn them about the dangers of psionic energy, and look what happened. Only towards the end, when almost everyone at the camp had died did they overcome the issue of communicating psionically and finish the job. Haven't we learned from the past? There has to be another way…

Walker asked me if I was willing to take that risk to find another solution to the aliens countering our ability to target them. He told me that he wasn't ready to see any more of us die. Not ready to hand the aliens a victory at the last second because we were too afraid to go toe to toe with 'em. I can see where he's coming from. I don't want to see anyone else die either, but linking minds psionically? How far are we willing to go? Technically we could beat the aliens by destroying the entire planet, but is that really winning? Would becoming our enemy really be winning?

The aliens took full advantage of the confusion down there, and nearly decimated the entire camp. The Gatekeeper even exploited the problems our ground team had been having and rose about four additional zombies to further puzzle our six best operatives. Thankfully, they managed to figure it all out and took back control. That's why they're the best. Jaz hacked and slashed her way through half the aliens down on the ground, and Kyra landed some crucial shots. Lucky we had Carmine out there to restore everyone too after the initial fiasco of trying to discern friend from foe.

*sigh* Ever since we built the Psi Labs… since we've killed those alien rulers and got stuck into plasma weapons, things have completely changed. We've changed. Our mission since pretty much the beginning has always been to shut down the Avatar project for good. We're supposed to be the last line of defence from oblivion. But if things have changed now because of our technology blurring the lines between alien and human… if we've come to a point where we must be like the aliens to beat them rather than sticking to what makes us who we are…? That's a place I'm not sure I can go.

I mean, I've never trusted psionics, and only recently have I found out where my deep dislike of them has arisen from. But Kyra and Heidi are involved with it, and I trust them. Same with Carmine, Walker and Jaz. That's the only reason why I haven't spoken out against this whole idea. That, and the fact that I'm outnumbered completely, and the fact that they all outrank me and probably have a better grip on how to win this war than I do. Okay, I guess there's more than one reason.

It's just…

Why fight the aliens if we're just going to become them?

The six of them are heading out on another mission. I guess we're nearing the end seeing as Tygan's almost finished his analysis of the Avatar corpse. Surely, the results of his study should help put an end to this once and for all.

Out.

* * *

Intermission – Priya Talks to Walker (Part 68 by GalacticCoach)  


"Hey Big W."

The voice startled Walker. Priya had managed to sneak up all the way behind him without so much as a sound.

He stifled a yawn. "Priya."

"Can't sleep either?"

Walker grumbled, staring back at the charred coals. "Not really, no. Sorry, I just need a moment to myself, if you don't mind. Tryna' figure things out."

Priya nodded. "No worries... I just wanted to ask you something real quick."

Walker sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Alright, fine. What's up?"

"What you said to me before, about how we need to do whatever we can to beat the aliens..."

"Go on."

"Just how far are we willing to go to beat them? How far are _you_ willing to go?"

* * *

Intermission – Priya Talks to Walker Continued (Part 68 by GalacticCoach)  


"So, what are you gonna do then? After this war's over, I mean? Thought about it?"

Walker recoiled, scratching his head at the question that came out of the blue. "Err, not really, no."

"Probably fight in the next war that inevitably happens then?"

Walker shrugged. "Sure, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, like you said, we don't even know what we're fighting for anymore... Why fight if you're not fighting for something you believe in?"

Silence filled the room once again as Walker contemplated a response. "Alright, your point Priya?"

"I don't know." She plopped on the seat beside Walker. "I just want to know if it's possible to have a normal life after all that we've been through as soldiers. If it's possible to settle down."

"Hmm... guess I really never thought about a life outside of battle." He nodded at Terrence's dogtags. "I always had a reason to fight."

"What about Locke?"

Walker paused, thinking back to the internal conflict he had earlier. "Who knows what'll happen... What about you and Skadden?"

"We've got the whole Jack Rivers thing to deal with," Priya said with a sigh. "And maybe now this civilian he'd been made to kill as well... but I'll fight alongside him. We'd have basically saved the world at that point, would anyone have the nerve to even try and throw the book at us? And would anyone even support them?"

"You'd better believe it," Walker said darkly.

Priya frowned. "Would you help Marshall and I if they ever asked you to come forward as a witness?"

Walker stopped to think again, biting his lip. "I honestly don't know, Priya. Like I said, I haven't thought ahead seeing as us Brigadiers already have our hands full trying to babysit you lot."

"You and Carmine, huh?" Priya said, giving a small, teasing smile.

Rolling his eyes, Walker climbed off his seat. "Right. No more questions. Go to your room."

Priya raised her hands, speaking in her signature tone. "Okay, I'll go!"

"And cut the attitude!"

She grinned, making her exit. "Sorry, _sir!_ "

* * *

Part 69 – Targeting Malfunction

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal - Diary Entry 69**

 **WHAT!?**

Tygan and Shen want to make an Avatar!? Have they gone completely insane? Doesn't anyone listen to me!? Oh boy, this is so insanely risky. What about when Vahlen made those 'alien rulers'? Have we forgotten what happens when we start tinkering with the aliens? We've barely managed to overcome the difficulties of communicating with each other on the battlefield, and now we're hopping onto another experiment at such a crucial moment? What if it doesn't work, and the Commander gets killed? Then what the hell are we going to do? I can't believe it's come to this…

Things are looking grim right now. The Spokesman got in contact with us. He's been made, but he sacrificed his cover to let us know the situation. Basically, we're screwed. We've backed the Elders into a corner by killing that Avatar (oops, my bad… NOT) and now they have no choice but to _wipe everyone out._ They're going to process all "non-essential" human life into that green slime for their own survival! And everyone living in those ADVENT controlled regions are going to flock to these gene therapy clinics, buying every word of the rubbish spouted by the Speaker… **ARGH!**

 ***slam*** **Son of a bitch!** I thought we had more time, but in truth, we're all out of it. The Spokesman has given us the plan; broadcast the truth all over the world by hacking the ADVENT network tower, and strike at the heart of the enemy fortress. That means passing through that Psi Gate to God knows wherever the hell their base is. It's the only way to ensure the future of humanity and hope of starting over. The Commander hasn't decided yet on the best course of action, or even who's going on the upcoming mission. I take it that he's going to want to take the best of the best out there. That rules me out, I guess.

But damn it, Commander, let me at them! Let me go into the belly of the beast with the others and help decimate the Elders' home, just like they did to mine! Please… I don't care if I die in there, I just want my shot at revenge… To show them how it feels to have your home invaded, pillaged, and destroyed. To have any hope of a future crushed and thrown away… I'd love nothing more than to snuff out the lives of those Elders like I did to that Avatar lying on our autopsy table. Like they did to Ali...

 ***sigh*** I wish there was a guaranteed way to stop the aliens and save our world. I wish I'd had a chance to try this SMG out. I wish I could've met Marshall earlier in my life and spent more time with him… I have so many regrets and wishes… but we're at the end of the line here.

 ***deep breath***

This is it. This is the way the world ends...

... unless we can stop it. It's do or die. Now or never.

 _Us or them._

Out.

* * *

Part 70 – ADVENT Network Tower

 **Maj. Priya "Innocence" Korpal – Diary Entry 70**

My name is Priya Korpal… Callsign "Innocence". I was ranked Major in the small resistance movement known only as XCOM.

If you can hear this… if you can hear any of my other diary entries or logs I've compiled over the past year and a half… then it's over.

On June 27, 2036, we made the whole world aware of the ADVENT coalition's plans to wipe out humanity. We tasked a team to attack the aliens at the very heart of their home in a last-ditch effort to take back our planet. I don't know if the aliens won, or if we did. I don't know who lived or who died. I don't even know if I've made it.

Either way, for all intents and purposes, XCOM is most likely finished.

So, let me tell you who we were…

We were XCOM… a small team comprised of soldiers with various backgrounds from all across the globe. Together, we were the last and only line of defense against the alien threat responsible for the ADVENT coalition's governance of Earth. We were branded by ADVENT as extremists, and terrorists, but we never lost sight of our ultimate goal: to recapture our planet and free humanity from the shackles imposed upon us.

Fighting alongside my comrades for the fate of humanity has been a daunting task; one that I'd never dreamed I'd be a part of. Still, it's taught me a great many things.

First of all, I've learned that when all seems lost and at its end, you need to rely on more than just hope to get through. You need to rely on action. You need to persevere. You can't lie down and expect all of it to get better. Several times, we've come close to failing in our mission to preserve humanity's future. We've lost some good people along the way. Weger, Rai, Saito, among others. While I'd momentarily given up after their deaths, the others weren't willing to quit. And now here we are, broadcasting to the world to stand up and fight. To take back our planet before we perish. All because we never surrendered.

I've also learned that you can have a family beyond those who share your blood. I've come to accept XCOM as my second family, as have many others aboard the Avenger. I used to think I was better off isolating myself from the others. I thought that if I didn't care for anyone, I'd be able to do a better job fighting the aliens… that I'd be able to avoid the pain of losing another person close to me. But that's all bullshit. We all need each other to survive. We need to depend on each other, not just as a team here at XCOM, but humanity as a whole. Loss is inevitable, so we must make the most of our time together while we can. As the old saying goes: united, we stand… divided, we fall.

Finally, I learned that a hero can come from anywhere, and can be anyone. They can be a hardened vet, an adrenaline junkie, a singer, a lawyer, an atoner, or even a youngster with attitude. While a few have succeeded in keeping a clean record, there are others who have a less than stellar history. I count myself among the latter. Not all of us can fully escape the horrors of our past actions, but seeking redemption? Fighting for good in spite of our dubious pasts? That's heroic in itself. I'm proud to have served alongside the men and women aboard this ship. No matter what happens… we're all heroes here today.

Okay. Now that I think I've got everything pretty much squared away, it's time. Marshall, Jaz and the others are waiting to see me off...

 _"Vigilo Confido."_

Goodbye.

* * *

Priya switched off the recorder for the last time. The alarm bells blared throughout the ship, calling everyone on deck. She was going through the Psi Gate any minute now.

 _Time to end this._

Kissing her brother's dogtags hanging around her neck, Priya switched off the lights and ran to join the rest of the crew.


	17. Epilogue and Final Comments

Priya's Epilogue

Priya sat at the edge of the Avenger's landing platform, legs hanging off the side. The sky resembled the same colour as it did the day her brother had been captured, and her home destroyed; a hauntingly beautiful orange and purple hue. She'd said her goodbyes already...

Walker had gone out on his own after a tearful farewell. Carmine, Moreau and Heidi had stuck around. Mason had gone off to find his younger siblings. Fields also prepared to depart, along with Haussman and her team... Of course, she hadn't bid farewell to Jaz and Vivi... no way she was leaving them anytime soon... her new family... she'd catch up with them later.

But everyone else? They had their own journeys to embark on... their own stories to forge now as humanity began its attempt to wrest back control.

And so did Priya.

 _I guess it really is over..._

"Hey."

Priya's heart lifted as she saw Marshall take a seat beside her. "Hey, you." She smiled for a moment before returning to the view.

"It's over, huh?"

Priya didn't answer, her eyes fixated on the cliffs that the sun had dipped behind.

Marshall dropped his gaze, wrapping his arm around her. "Priya? You did it… _we_ did it… we beat the Elders. ADVENT's as good as gone now thanks to you and the others. You did great work out there!"

"I know," Priya said, grabbing Marshall's hand. "I just wish – Ali could've been here to see this moment."

Marshall gave her a sad look, letting go of her hand for a second to hold her brother's dogtags. "I'm sure he's right here with you." He let go and shifted his hand to her heart. "And he's in here too. He's proud of you, Priya. All of us are."

She smiled, burying her face into his arms. She had to admit that she felt proud herself. To have come all this way and see the end of the ADVENT regime first-hand? After everything they'd done to her, and her friends from both her old camp and the Avenger? She'd never felt more satisfied in her whole life.

"You've come so far since the beginning of all this. You've grown into a strong, independent woman. One who can definitely hold her own." Marshall planted a kiss on her head. "Just one of the reasons why I love you so much."

Priya poked her head up, her messy hair blanketing her glasses and barely masking her confusion. "Wait, what? Since the beginning of all this…? How would you…?"

Marshall shrugged, bearing a sheepish grin. "I _may_ have listened to a log or two of yours from before I was around."

Priya's jaw dropped as her face burned red. "Oh my gosh, whyyyyyyy!?"

"I have to say, I found it kinda cute that you found yourself in hot water early on with the others thanks to that spunky attitude of yours."

"Oh, believe me, you're gonna get a lot more of this 'attitude' if you keep this behavior up, Mr. Skadden!"

He chuckled. "I think I can handle it, Ms. Korpal."

"Oooooh, we'll see about that!" She pressed forward, toppling Marshall onto his back. He let out a cry of surprise as she wrestled to keep her position on top of him, giggling. She held his hands down, sighing as Marshall conceded with a smirk.

The two shared a moment of silence before Marshall finally spoke up. "I'm glad I turned my life around and found you."

Priya grinned, blushing. "And I'm glad I stayed alive long enough to meet you."

Marshall rolled his eyes before gently pushing Priya off his torso with ease. She yelped, eyes widened as she fell beside him. Again, he held her close as darkness began to consume the remaining light in the sky.

"Do you think it's over?" Marshall asked.

Priya heaved a deep sigh. The thought had been nagging at the back of her mind. "Honestly, I don't know. We've destroyed the Elders… but there's no way everything's gonna be fine and dandy any time soon. There're still aliens out there, and it's gonna take a long time to rebuild. Then there's all those warnings the Elders gave us the whole time we were down there."

"What warnings?"

"That something will follow us… just like it followed them."

Marshall didn't know what to say. He'd suspected that it wouldn't be this easy… and it seems Priya had suspected the same thing.

Priya turned to look at Marshall into his eyes. "All I know is that whatever happens from here on out, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. However long that might be."

Marshall nodded, brushing her hair aside. "I promise… whatever happens, whether there's a trial for me, whether there is something worse out there, whether we have to go out and fight again for mankind's survival… I'm never leaving you alone again."

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's all folks! It's been so much fun writing for Priya this season. However, due to real life commitments and other matters, I probably won't be writing for another character next season. That, plus I want to give others a chance to step up and get into the pool now that I've had my time in the limelight.

And finally, I doubt I'll be able to top what I've written for Priya. I'm very pleased with how she turned out and it makes me warm and fuzzy inside to know that she has a few fans out there (even Chris himself!). However, I will definitely be watching and reading about our new heroes in the upcoming series and am excited to see how it all turns out!

Feel free to leave a review, comments and/or feedback on what I've written for Priya! Take care!


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